


Expanding The Team

by BlackCat46



Series: Always A Team [2]
Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Blood Loss, Cinna returns to the series (about time too), Effie's Parents - Freeform, Effie's birthday, F/M, Fluff, Funny, Hayffie are surrogate grandparents, Hayffie attempting to parent, Hayffie baby (cat's out of the bag now), Hayffie babysitting, Hayffie wedding, Miscarriage, Newborn Baby, Original Characters - Freeform, Original Child Characters, Paranoid Effie, Paranoid Haymitch, Parent!Everlark, Peeta and Katniss parenting, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Sequel, Stress, That can't go wrong, corpse, dark story, more tags soon, sad stuff, toast-girl
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-26
Updated: 2019-05-14
Packaged: 2019-05-18 08:24:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 38
Words: 133,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14849195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackCat46/pseuds/BlackCat46
Summary: It's been three months since the events of Once A Team, Always A Team, and lots of new things are on the horizon, including a wedding, a new member of the family, and a few extra surprises along the way.





	1. One Week

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, everyone! I hope you're ready for this!!!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games, its characters, or its world. All rights go to Suzanne Collins, and I am not Suzanne. I just like to play around with her characters.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One week of little snapshots into Haymitch and Effie's domestic life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, and welcome to Expanding The Team. If you haven't read Once A Team, I'd recommend that you read that first. If you have, welcome back to the series, and I hope you'll enjoy this. This first chapter is just a week of peeks into Hayffie's life of domesticity to show us where they're up to now. In this segment, we're in the summer months right after the events of the last story.
> 
> This means you need to buckle up for Toastbaby number one, Hayffie wedding, shock appearances, and more. I hope you're ready for this.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games, its characters, or its world. All rights go to Suzanne Collins, and I am not Suzanne. I just like to play around with her characters.

_June Sixteenth_

* * *

"Effie," Haymitch whispers, gently poking his fiancee's stomach. "Wake up."

"No, I don't human until after eight in the morning," Effie whines, hitting him with her pillow. "Let me be dead for a bit longer."

"Come on, sweetheart, this is important," he says, poking her. "Human for me?"

"Your head had  _better_ be hanging off," she grumbles, then peeks out from under the duvet. "It's not even light yet! Why are you making me wake up and human?!"

"I want to know what you want for your birthday," Haymitch says.

"A Haymitch that won't wake me up at this time of dark to ask me questions!" Effie yells, then smacks him with her pillow again. "Go to sleep!"

He cuddles her, then asks "No, seriously, what do you want?"

She sighs and mumbles "I'll be happy with anything you give to me, because it's not the gift itself, it's the thought behind it. That said, if you could be thoughtful and let me sleep, I might wake you up with my mouth when it gets light out. Now  _sleep_. Your fiancee is tired."

She's asleep again in minutes.

* * *

_June Seventeenth_

* * *

"Effie, what kind of cake do you want for your birthday?" Haymitch asks, winding his arms around his fiancee's waist as she rolls pastry for their chicken pot pie.

She leans on him and sighs "I  _don't_ , darling. I told you, my birthday doesn't matter to me. I don't want to celebrate my aging. It just means I become less fit, less beautiful, and less healthy, while you're there, staying gorgeous and fit, like some kind of vampire or something. The only birthdays I will ever celebrate are yours, the kids', the kids' kids, and our kids when we eventually get around to having them."

"Why can't we celebrate your birthday?" he asks, and she can  _hear_ the childlike whine that she knows their future children will use to get their own way. "I want to celebrate your existence."

"You can do that any day," she points out. "Why have a whole day specifically? It's just inconvenient for us all."

"Have you found out what cake she wants yet?" Peeta asks, strolling into the kitchen.

"She's being stubborn," Haymitch mutters. "It's still  _no birthdays for her_ zone."

Peeta chuckles, then says "Effie, you know we'll know one way or the other. Spare us the digging and just tell us."

"No. I've made it very clear that I don't want to celebrate," she says, arranging the pastry in the pie dish. 

Haymitch kisses her neck, then whispers "Princess, if you just answer the question, I'll do everything you like me to do for you tonight."

Effie's eyes roll harder than ever, and she snaps "Fine! Fine! You'll do as you please anyway! A lemon drizzle cake! Are you happy now?!"

"Very," the two men chorus.

"Don't you have a seven months pregnant wife, Peeta?" Effie asks tersely. "She might need you more than my annoying fiance does."

Peeta gets the hint and leaves quickly, leaving Haymitch to kiss Effie's neck. "Did you get out on the wrong side of the bed this morning, beautiful?" he asks softly, cuddling her close. "You've been moody all day."

"I'm bleeding out," she mutters. "I've got cramps, and my back hurts, and my hormones are everywhere. I'm sad and angry, and being nagged about cakes and gifts when all I want is to sleep for six months is not nice. I don't even care that talking about this with you is improper, you need to have the explanation."

"I don't mind, I know you're a woman," he says. "I've been shoving it in the wrong thing if you're a guy."

"I want chocolate covered strawberries," she murmurs sadly. "And I want to cry. While I eat."

Haymitch rubs Effie's stomach gently. "When did you get your period?" he asks.

"Two days ago," she whimpers. "It hurts so much... I tried taking aspirin, but that failed me dismally, and I can't have anything else for another five hours. Put me out of my misery..."

He takes her apron and says "Wash your hands, beautiful. I've left the chocolate covered strawberries in the fridge for you."

She lights up and kisses him. "I knew there was a reason we ended up together," she coos. She washes her hands, then gets the strawberries while Haymitch washes his hands to finish off making the pie. She feeds him a few strawberries, then groans, doubling up. "Ouch..."

"You okay?" he asks. Even after four months of living with her, he's still not okay with her suffering.

"I've changed my mind, I want a baby as soon as possible," she groans. "I  _hate_ periods."

Haymitch just smirks. "Go sit down with your fruit, Princess," he tells her. "I'll come in to cover you in kisses once this is baking."

* * *

_June Eighteenth_

* * *

Haymitch lies down with Effie in his arms, just staring at their bedroom ceiling. "If I could give you anything in the world, what would you pick?" Effie asks softly.

"You've already given me everything I want," Haymitch murmurs, kissing her temple. "More than I deserve."

She hums, then asks "If you had to ask anything of me, even the most  _out there_ thing, what would it be?"

"I'd ask you to just be you," he mutters. "Nothing's more beautiful than that. I like you just the way you are."

"You're so romantic," she sighs happily. "I wouldn't ask more than you being yourself of you, either. It's you being yourself that made me fall in love with you."

"See, this is where you're wrong. I'm not romantic," he tells her, nuzzling the top of her head. "It was seeing those tight skirts strain whenever you bent over."

She groans and screws her face up. "Really?! That was such a lovely moment!" she whines. 

"Was it, now?" he asks, chuckling softly.

"Yes! I was enjoying thinking that I was marrying a lovely man, and you said that the only reason you fell in love with me was the tight skirts showing off my bottom!" she groans, turning over and pressing her nose to his chest. "You're lucky that you have so many redeeming qualities."

"Come on, there's a lot more to it now," he chuckles, petting her.

"Oh? Like what? Maybe the fact that now that I eat regular meals and normal portions, I have actual cleavage? My legs look like human legs now?" she asks, propping her chin on his chest and smirking playfully at him. 

"Hey, you were gorgeous and perfectly proportioned before. This is just a bonus for me," he chuckles, stroking her back gently. 

"Then what else is it?" she asks, her fingers tracing random patterns over his chest.

He smirks and says "It's too sappy for me."

"I know you," she giggles, grinning at him. "You're a giant mush bear. Now tell me everything, or else."

"Or else what?" he asks, reaching to tickle her underarms. "What will you do, Bug?"

"I will sleep in very big, and very thick clothes tonight so that you can't touch me," she growls playfully, trying to squirm away from his touch. "Now tell your squishy what mush you have, or I'll cook myself tonight."

He narrows his eyes playfully. "Threatening behaviour? That warrants kisses, Princess," he says, then leans in. 

She puts her hand on his mouth and says "No kisses until I know why you love me."

He groans, then licks her hand so that she moves it. "There," he says, then steals a kiss. "Now you can hear everything, if you really want to."

Effie's face softens, then her lower lip wobbles. "Actually, if you don't want to tell me, don't," she says. "I know how much you hate the sappy stuff."

Haymitch sees the little lip wobble, then kisses her nose. "You should know," he murmurs, then kisses her. "I love your smile, your laugh, your personality, that weird sense of humour, those big blue eyes that you use to get your own way, that adorable giggle, your little nose that bunches up when you're thinking or disgusted, your little flappy hands when you get excited, your little squeaks in your sleep, your every day squeaks. Let's not forget the little bunny hop thing you do when you see spiders. And the way your mouth forms a perfect circle when you yawn, or when you're surprised, or when you burn your tongue. I love the way you snuggle up to me when you're tired, and how you drape yourself over me when you've drank too much, or eaten too much, or don't feel well. I love your cute sleep-talking, and the way you wriggle up to me in the night for warmth. There's more, but we'll be here for years if I carry on."

She sniffs slightly, then hugs him close. "You're a sweetie," she whimpers, clinging to him. "I had no idea... Oh, squishy."

"Don't start the crying again, you soggy mess," he chuckles, clutching her to him. "I should tell you stuff like that more often if I'm going to get this kind of treatment for it."

"I love you," she sobs. "And I'm going to prove that."

"Oh, no," he groans. 

"Yes. And you're going to love it," she mutters, yanking him down on top of her.

* * *

_June Nineteenth_

* * *

"Haymitch, Haymitch, Haymitch, Haymitch, Haymitch!" Effie squeals, the sound accompanied by her pattering little footsteps speeding to him. "Haymitch!"  
  
Haymitch turns to find his fiancee bounding toward him, slightly bemused by her sudden enthusiasm. "What's all this, Effie?" he asks, catching her with one swift motion as she jumps on him.

"We're going away!" she squeals delightedly. "And not only that, we're going to go to a concert!"

"Let me guess, it's Morel Skyberry?" he asks, smirking at her.

"Yes!" she squeals.

"You and your adorable little crushes," he chuckles, although a part of him is irrationally jealous. "Isn't he a little young for you?"

"He's two years younger than me. By your standards here, you robbed the cradle with me," she giggles. "And I don't have a crush on him. I just really love his music."

"Sure you do. That's why you nearly faint on me whenever you see his face," Haymitch mocks, kissing her nose.

"Well, admittedly, he is quite attractive. Nowhere near as gorgeous as you, of course, but still nice," she says. "He definitely doesn't compare with you. Nothing compares with you."

Haymitch smirks and kisses her lips. "You're cute when you attempt to lie," he whispers. "It's okay. You can have your cute crushes on guys. As long as you remember that you're marrying me and are officially off the dating site, that is."

She laughs "I'm glad to have your permission, darling. I didn't need it. Look, if it means so much to you that we don't go, we'll find something better to do. Maybe in our bed in a hotel room?"

He kisses her lips, then says "No, Princess. You want to go to this concert, we're going."

She pouts. "Not if you're not into it. I want us to do something we both enjoy," she huffs.

"I may not like the guy's music, but I like seeing you enjoy things. We both get to do something we like. You get to see your musical crush live, and I get to watch my Princess be thrilled," he says. "Buy those tickets, beautiful Bug. Or I will."

She buys the tickets, a doubtful look on her face. "I don't know, Haymitch. I don't like the idea," she says softly.

"You'll love it, Bug," he dismisses, giving her a kiss. "You should be more worried with what you want to wear to the concert."

* * *

_June Twentieth_

* * *

"Three more days until we go away, Eff, why aren't you going ballistic with your packing?" Haymitch asks.

Effie looks up from her tablet. "I've just been looking at something, that's all," she says, clearing her history and closing her tabs before locking her tablet. "I'll get on with the packing now."

"What's with the secrecy?" he asks, then drops down beside her to give her a cuddle. "Some mystery man I need to know about?"

"Don't be ridiculous," she sighs, winding her arms around him and burying her face on his chest. "I'll only ever want you. I love you more than life itself."

He chuckles, then kisses her head. "I was joking, beautiful," he murmurs. "You're up to something. Want to let me in on it?"

"Not yet," Effie hums, cuddling him. "I'm saving it for later. Now, I need to go and get everything packed up. I don't look gorgeous naturally, after all."

Haymitch starts to laugh, clutching her harder in response to his laughter. "You were  _born_ perfect, Trinket. You'll never be anything but," he splutters, trying to catch his breath between bouts of laughter. "I don't get you at all. You're stunning, how can you think you're not?"

"It's very difficult when you call me every variant of beautiful all the time," she giggles, then swings herself up onto his lap. "And I think you need to be kissed for laughing at me when I say perfectly normal things."

"You'll never hear me deny your kisses," he chuckles, then reaches up to pet her, admiring her. 

"What's with that look? I'm finding it very hard to decide whether to give you sweet kisses or dirty ones, and that look on your face is confusing my little brain," she says, smiling and running her fingers through his hair. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Because you're you," he says, then smirks. "What about that kiss?"

She leans in and presses her lips to his, being as gentle as she can, and denying him the control over the kiss, keeping it slow, soft, and sweet. She breaks away with a small smile, then asks "Was that good enough?"

He laughs quietly, then kisses her again gently. "Perfect," he murmurs, cuddling her. "Now go get packed up, Princess, I don't want you panicking the night before like the procrastinator you are deep down."

She laughs and kisses him once more. "Fine, but I'm coming back for more kisses once I'm done," she says. 

* * *

_June Twenty First_

* * *

"Effie, I swear, being pregnant is so  _not_ fun. Don't listen to the books, or the movies, or Haymitch. They have  _no idea_ ," Katniss groans, rubbing her back. "This child  _will_ end me. I will have survived being a tribute twice, a victor twice, a symbol, literally battered half to death on multiple occasions, set alight, and losing my whole blood family just to be murdered by a child that isn't even out yet and weighs about three and a half pounds total. Do not ever get pregnant. If you love yourself in any way, don't do it."

Effie makes a face. "I don't know, Katniss, I'd rather that than have to bleed for a week every month. At least I'd get something other than my favourite panties ruined if I had a baby," she says. "Besides, your daughter's last ultrasound showed me how beautiful she is already. I'd love something like that."

Haymitch strolls in, wearing just his sweatpants, then smirks at Effie. "You'd better not be planning a baby Bug before we've got you down the aisle," he chuckles.

"If you love her enough, you won't ever let her get pregnant," Katniss tells him, clutching at her lower back. "She doesn't deserve to suffer."

"Well, Katniss, you only have something along the lines of seven weeks left, yes?" Effie asks, tilting her head slightly.

"Seven weeks too many," Katniss grumbles. "I'm ready for this child to get out of me already."

Haymitch winces. "Not on our sofa, sweetheart, it's older than you are," he says. "It doesn't need that sort of trauma."

Effie lifts an eyebrow at him, then smiles sweetly at Katniss. "How about I get you some tea? It's specially formulated to relax your muscles," she offers. "I use it a lot."

"It's not alcoholic," Haymitch adds in. "Effie's on a detox again."

"I want to look slim in my wedding gown, Haymitch, and as much as I hate to admit this, I am a little tubbier than I'd like," she says, preparing the tea for Katniss. "Now, my darling, be nice to Katniss while I focus. I'm not like you, I can't multitask."

Haymitch shrugs and studies Katniss, then asks "What's bugging you so much about being pregnant?"

"Aside from having a small human squirming inside my body and bouncing on my unnaturally bent spine?" Katniss asks grumpily. 

"Yeah, aside from that," Haymitch says, trying his best not to laugh at her suffering. 

Katniss sighs "The sleepless nights that I was told come  _after_ the birth, the morning sickness that I was told would probably go away, the constant exhaustion, the inability to hunt when I walk like a whale, the acne, the tense everything, my inability to stand up, the pain I get when I wear bras, everything doing weird things at every hour of the day and night, the intense gas that this child insists on giving to me, the heartburn, the cravings, the dizziness, and the fact that I can't sleep properly because this baby feels like it weighs thirty three and a half pounds, not just three and a half. That's what annoys me."

"That makes having a baby sound like a horror story," Effie murmurs. "I do hope it's not really that horrible."

"It's worse," Katniss groans. "I'm telling you, Trinket, bad idea."

Effie nods, but smiles slightly. "I think that when you hold her outside of you, you'll feel much better about going through the pregnancy," she says softly, stirring the tea. "And you will have us to babysit her."

"Doesn't do much now," Katniss mutters grouchily. "I'm too ready to have this baby, you have no idea."

"When she's screaming, you'll want to put her back in," Haymitch chuckles.

Effie walks over and places the tea in front of Katniss, then says "You should be more sensitive, Haymitch, she's suffering. You won't like it when someone is inevitably insensitive when it's me in that situation."

Haymitch rolls his eyes, and Katniss says "The three of us, as in Haymitch, Peeta, and me, we have an understanding that you'll even be pregnant in textbook propriety."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Effie asks, folding her arms.

"It means that you'll get a tiny bump, more up top, wider hips, even nicer hair, clear skin, and have no pain at all," Haymitch chuckles. "You'll be the kind of pregnant woman we see in those movies you two are so keen on."

"And you'll give every other mom in the District another reason to hate you," Katniss says.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not a movie star. I'm definitely  _not_ going to be that fortunate. I'll probably end up really disgusting," Effie chuckles. "More so than usual, I mean."

She gives Haymitch a glass of orange juice, then gets her own glass of water. "You're not disgusting," Haymitch says, looking annoyed and sulky.

"Are you  _actually_ pouting?" Katniss asks, smirking. 

"No," Haymitch grumbles. 

"You  _are_!" Katniss exclaims, then bursts out laughing. "Wait until I tell Peeta! You'll never hear the end of this!"

"Effie," Haymitch says, giving her a helpless look.

"Be nice, Katniss, it's my fault he pouts now, he started doing it to mock me and make me laugh, and it's become a thing," Effie says. "It's my fault, blame me."

Katniss takes no notice, cackling loudly. "Why do we still let her in?" Haymitch asks loudly over Katniss's laughter.

* * *

  _June Twenty Second  
_

* * *

Haymitch grins at Effie as he, Katniss, and Peeta lean back in their seats, full from their meal. "Who knew that a plate of grains and eggs was so good?" Haymitch chuckles, smirking at Effie. "That went really well with the ribs."

Peeta mutters "I didn't know you could fry eggs and grains together."

"It's been a very simple recipe since before the Dark Days," Effie says. "It's a common meal in the city. And the best bit about it is that it works all year around."

"Are you going to get it made for you on your holiday to the city, then?" Katniss asks lazily, almost asleep in her seat.

"No, I'll cook," Effie says. "I'm worried about leaving you both. Will you be okay without us?"

"We'll be fine, Effie, we lived for sixteen years without you two parenting us," Peeta chuckles. 

"But you had actual adults then," Effie argues. "Are you  _sure_ you won't come with us? I can get you a room."

"No," Katniss says. "I'd rather  _not_ have to listen to you two...  _Wrestling_... All night long. It's okay, we'll be fine. You two go, make your own little humans, don't bother about us."

Effie's lower lip wobbles. "But I don't like leaving you," she whimpers. "You two have had enough adults walk out of your lives..."

"Effie, relax," Haymitch says, grabbing her hand. "They know we'll come home. They're not six year olds who need Mommy at home. They're adults, they're living together, they have their own baby on the way. Calm down."

Peeta smiles at Effie. "It's okay, Effie. You'll only be gone for a week, and we'll call if there's an emergency," he says. "We'll give you daily text updates."

"See?" Haymitch says. "They're responsible, and they know to keep each other fed."

Effie looks sad, but nods. "Fine. But the  _instant_ you two change your minds, you tell me," she says. "I will bring you if you so choose."

Haymitch chuckles and shakes his head. The subject is dropped until after the younger couple have said goodnight and headed home, and he and Effie have gone to bed. He hears Effie's soft whimpers and asks "What's wrong?"

"I don't want to leave them," she sobs. "I want to put them in my suitcases and bring them along. I feel bad for leaving them."

"No, Trinket. We're not doing that," Haymitch murmurs, cuddling her. "They can live a few days without us. They might actually appreciate our presences when we get back if we don't drag them with us."

"But they might need us," Effie sobs. "I don't want to leave them, they're too young to be alone."

"They're twenty one, Eff. They're married, they're having their own baby, they're definitely old enough to live alone," he chuckles. "Besides, Sae will check in on them. She did it for me after I won, and didn't stop until we got engaged."

Effie sniffs, then cuddles up to him. "I don't want to leave them. They already have abandonment issues..." she sobs.

Haymitch kisses her gently and whispers "Effie, I think you're the one with separation anxiety and abandonment issues. Those kids are in the same ten years as you, age-wise, and you're young enough to be their sister. You need to relax."

"I can't! I've been looking after them for around four years now, give or take a few months, and now I don't know how to not!" she whimpers sadly. "They're my kids, for nearly every intent and purpose out there. I hate abandoning them."

"You're tired," he says, rubbing her stomach soothingly. "Sleep, Princess. You'll feel much better in the morning."

"I hope so," she sobs, wrapping herself around him.

* * *

_June Twenty Third  
_

* * *

"Don't get all sappy," Haymitch warns as they all arrive at the train station. "They want a break."

Effie nods, her face a cool mask of composure, her eyes swimming with tears. "All right. Are you sure you have everything you need?" Katniss asks. "I don't want to travel all the way to the city just to hand you two a plug extension."

"We have everything," Haymitch says, hugging Effie tightly to prevent her pouncing on the younger couple or kidnapping them. 

"Why are you holding Effie like that?" Peeta asks.

Haymitch clutches her closer and says "Because that little twitch in her hand means she wants to hug you or kidnap you and bring you with us."

"She can hug," Katniss says. " _Gently_ , though, Effie."

Haymitch lets go and Effie grabs both Katniss and Peeta and hugs them close. "I don't want to leave you," she whines. "Please come with us."

"No," Katniss says. "I'm  _not_ about to take a two day train ride. That'll kill my back off completely. No."

"And I need to be here," Peeta says. "I have a wife and a bakery. You two go and have fun."

"Effie, come on, you're not leaving forever," Haymitch sighs.

Effie whines, and it takes all three of them to prise her off. Haymitch holds her back as their luggage is loaded onto the train, then Peeta says "Have fun, you two. I have to run, I left the bakery unattended."

"And you have to help me up that slope before you go back," Katniss says.

"Don't kill each other," Haymitch says. "I hate telling Effie when she's right."

"Stay safe, my darlings," Effie whimpers, clearly trying her best not to cry. 

Haymitch has to carry her onto the train, knowing exactly what she needs. She cries for a solid hour on his shoulder, then perks up when he puts headphones on her ears and plays her a few Morel Skyberry songs. "Better?" he mouths.

She nods, then starts loudly singing along, horribly off-key. Haymitch winces, but lets her do her thing, grateful that she's stopped crying now, and hopes that the train gets them to the city early.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed that little week of snapshots into their lives. We'll be starting off with the story in the next chapter. If you have anything you'd like to tell me, be it a thought, an opinion, or some constructive criticism, please feel free to pop it into a comment below. 
> 
> I hope you've had a good week, and I'm sorry if not. I hope the coming week treats you kindly.
> 
> Much love and happiness to you all. Until next time. Cat xxx


	2. The Capitol

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haymitch and Effie arrive in the Capitol, and Effie has something she really wants to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, there, everyone! Since you're back for more, I think this is a good time to warn you that Effie's got plans in store for us all, including her poor, unsuspecting Haymitch. Things are about to get dark, so bring a candle and some tissues. For everyone who chooses to stop at the warnings, I will put a summary of the chapter in the end notes, so please feel free to click the link below and it'll take you right down there. It's not horrifically graphic, but it may be enough, so it's there in case.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games, its characters, or its world. All rights go to Suzanne Collins, and I am not Suzanne. I just like to play around with her characters.

No such luck for Haymitch. After three hours of Effie's loud and off-key singing, she'd fallen asleep on him. When she'd woken, after a solid ten hours, she'd picked up a book and curled up on him, then read aloud to him until the food he'd ordered for them both arrived. She'd eaten, drank, and read some more, then said "I think we should nap some more." He hadn't disagreed with that. 

As the train arrives in the city, he's struck by a memory of their chat a few days prior. "So, Effie, you mentioned a  _plan_ before we left?" Haymitch asks, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "Care to share?"

"Well, I was thinking about how you keep saying that I'm healing really well," Effie hums, snuggling up to him.

"You are," he points out, kissing her head. "Why would you question it?"

"Because I still feel stuck there sometimes," she says softly. "So I was thinking... I booked it with the current owner of the place. I'm going back to see the cells."

"You're doing  _what_?!" he demands, straightening up and dropping Effie against him, causing her neck to bend at an awkward angle and make a cracking sound. She winces and glares at him reproachfully. "Don't give me that look! What do you mean  _going back to see the cells_?!"

"I want to go back," Effie says softly, rubbing her neck.

"No," Haymitch growls. "No. Bad idea."

"Why?" she asks. "I think it'd be a good part of my healing."

"Because it left you in ruins," he growls.

"I want to see it," she huffs. "I'm not asking you to come, just to be supportive of my choice. Please can you just accept that I want to do something that may make me feel better?"

He thinks on it for a bit, then grumbles "I don't like that, sweetheart."

"I didn't ask you to," she murmurs.

"But if you're determined, you'll do it whether I like it or not," he says. "It's a stupid plan, and since you're you, and you'll do whatever you want anyway, just go for it."

She snuggles up to him, determined to make things right again. "Are you angry with me?" she asks.

"A bit," he mutters. "It'll pass."

Him being angry with her always leaves her feeling sick and scared, and she timidly asks "Is cuddling okay?"

"That's one of your better ideas," he says softly, pulling her near him and cuddling her hard. "I like this sort of idea."

* * *

"Effie, are you sure about this?" Haymitch asks softly, rubbing Effie's back. "It's not like you have no choice."

"I'm doing this," Effie grumbles. "I have to see."

"Eff, the kids are going to check in, what will they say if they call you on your cell phone and find out that one, we're in the city, and two, checking out the place you nearly died in?" he asks harshly.

"I don't care," Effie whispers. "This time two years ago, I wanted to be back there because it felt familiar when I was alone in the hospital. Now I have to see it, to see how far I've come."

"I could tell you that," Haymitch tells her.

"I want to feel like I've come this far," she says gently. "I have to. For my peace of mind if nothing else."

"Princess, I don't like this," he sighs, cuddling her. "We've built up a life together where we're not at each other's throats all the time, we've watched our kids get married, and we're going to try to be normal enough to help look after their kid, and now you want to send yoursef back to square one and go back to the place that haunts your nightmares. What will you even achieve by doing this?"

"I need to see it," Effie says. "I need closure. If you wanted to go back to your arena for this reason, I would come with you and stay close. I would support you."

"I do support you, but this... For me, it's been twenty eight years come summer. For you, it's been two," Haymitch reminds her. "Nearly thirty years is way more than just two, Princess, and I've had more healing time."

"I'm sick of feeling like I'm weak for not being strong enough to come out of that cell mentally whole. I want to go back," she says, tearing up. "I want to feel as though I can tell my past self that everything will be okay."

Haymitch hugs her close, then kisses the top of her head. "You'll do it with or without me, won't you?" he asks softly, fondly kissing her head.

"Absolutely," she replies softly, sniffling a bit.

"Then I'm coming with you," he says. "No point letting you have a mental breakdown alone."

She beams up at him, then says "Thank you. Come on, then."

Haymitch nods at the peacekeeper, who lifts the tape to prevent people sneaking in, holding on to Effie's tiny hand as they walk under the tape. "Now remember, Princess, you can turn back whenever you like," he murmurs into her ear.

She nods. "I'm coming back here as a free woman," she murmurs, then squeezes his hand. "A happy, engaged, loved, wanted, and free woman. I'm not here to relive the past, I'm here to put it to rest."

"That's my Princess," Haymitch murmurs proudly. "If you start to panic and don't want to say anything, squeeze my hand and I'll help you."

"Got you," Effie breathes, then leans her head on his shoulder. "Let's do this."

* * *

**(!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!)**

The trip down the stairs to the underground cells is relatively uneventful. "Doesn't this worry you?" Haymitch asks, the memories of carrying a bruised, beaten, and broken Effie through these halls, every step resulting in a pained sound from her, bombs everywhere, and the threat of death looming over them. "The memories of this place, I mean."

"I was knocked out before I was dragged down here," Effie whispers. "I highly doubt they would have carried me."

He presses a tender kiss to the side of Effie's head, rubbing her waist. "You're such a brave woman, Princess," he murmurs, trying his best to remember that she's safe, she's with him, she's in one piece again, she's alive, and she's not in any immediate danger.

Effie smiles at him lovingly, her eyes shining with emotion. "I have you," she whispers, her arm tightening around his waist. "If I have my squishy, I have no fear other than you getting hurt."

He gives her a tender kiss, then lets her take him to her cell. "Are you certain?" he asks quietly.

"You didn't even ask me this many times when we had sex for the first time in two years," she chuckles. "I'm sure, darling."

"As long as you're sure," he says. "You tell me the  _second_ you need out, okay?"

He barely registers her nod, glowering again as he sees how small these cells are, hating the fact that Effie was once shoved into one of them when they're barely up to the middle of his shin, and she was so close to being lost to him forever, and he has flashbacks to having to crawl to free her. He holds her close to him, kissing her head. She drops to her knees beside the little hole they'd pushed her into and immediately gags. "Ugh!" she gasps, covering her face with her hand.

"Princess? What is it?" Haymitch asks, dropping to his knees beside her, worrying over her immensely.

"It smells like death," Effie murmurs. "Like it did before... Oh, I'm going to be sick."

"Is there a bathroom?" he asks, not wanting her to further her trauma.

"Yes," she gasps, then gags again. "Oh, no!"

She turns away from him and runs into a small bathroom by the entrance where the guards used to use the toilet when they needed to and had just abandoned a prisoner to recover alone from whatever they'd been put through. Haymitch hears her vomiting and feels horrible. The toilet flushes, and he hears water running, then her drying her hands with a machine. There's a curious sound from her, then she opens a curtain. "Eff?" he asks, hearing the swoosh and wondering what's in there that could make a noise like that.

"Oh my," Effie breathes, and there's a tiny footstep before a loud thud echoes through the chamber.

Haymitch reaches the bathroom door just as Effie lets out a piercing scream. "Effie!" he bellows, throwing the door open.

**( ^ _ ^ )  ( ^ _ ^ )  ( ^ _ ^ )  ( ^ _ ^ )  ( ^ _ ^ )  ( ^ _ ^ )**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who didn't read after the warnings, Haymitch and Effie went down into the cells deep underground, and Haymitch starts to get angry again at the people who imprisoned Effie, even though she remembers none of the journey down there or back out. She explores around a little, and starts to feel sick after a while, so she goes into a bathroom she remembers her guards using, and discovers something, which makes Haymitch worry about her. 
> 
> Notice: The warnings are usually put into place for the most distressing content. If you choose not to read the warned chapters, but you're interested in what happens for the next few chapters, the end notes in each will tell you everything, and the author's notes at the beginning of each one are deliberately long enough to avoid having to read anything potentially distressing. 
> 
> Please don't shout at me. I know it was cruel. I just hope you can stick with me. If you have a theory, any thoughts, or any constructive criticism, please feel free to let me know what you think down there in a comment.
> 
> I hope you've had a good week, and that this next one's going to be kind to you.
> 
> Much love and happiness to you all. Until next time. Cat. xxx


	3. The Cells

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are discovered in the cells that have long since been abandoned there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello. This chapter continues right after the last one, so the same warning still applies. There are several things that may be distressing to some readers, so here is what will be in the chapter.
> 
> \- Decaying corpses  
> \- Mentions of mutilation with knives. 
> 
> So for everyone reading, please, please, please proceed with caution, and to everyone who will read this, I hope you're ready for this. To everyone who won't be reading this, I will put a summary at the end to avoid spoiling it for others and to keep you updated on what's happening without causing you distress. 
> 
> Notice: These end notes will also let you know when the next chapter is completely readable for everyone. I really don't want anyone to miss out if they enjoy any of this story.
> 
> I am warning you in advance. I don't want any of you to be distressed by this story, it's not intended to hurt anyone or make anyone uncomfortable. This story is literally for entertainment purposes. I know it's dark, and that can lead to bad memories for people. If you need to skip this, I will fill you in at the end. There will be parts that are readable by everyone, I promise.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games, its characters, or its world. All rights go to Suzanne Collins, and I am not Suzanne. I just like to play around with her characters.

**(!)  (!)  (!)  (!)  (!)  (!)**

He bursts into the bathroom to see Effie gaping at a decaying corpse. It's about two years old, judging by how decayed it is, and it's lying at her feet. "Haymitch!" Effie whimpers, then reaches for him.  
  
He catches her and lifts her away from the body, giving her a kiss. "It's okay, Princess, this one's been dead for a long while," he says.

"No... He was one of them," Effie whimpers. "He was the one who drugged me long enough to bring me down here."

"How can you tell?" Haymitch asks, kicking the corpse's head with disgust, wishing the man was still alive for him to hurt.

"His uniform," she whispers. "It has a knife in it. The handle's pink and has my name on it. It was specially crafted for him to hurt me with. I only know that knife from when he held it to my throat and made me take the drugs. Honey, he..."

Haymitch gently presses his hand to her stomach, kissing her forehead gently, rubbing soothing circles on her shirt. "I've got you, Princess. He can't hurt you now," he murmurs, cuddling her close. "He's dead and gone."

"He's not gone, he's there!" Effie whimpers. "Oh, no..."

She leans over the toilet, vomiting again. Haymitch holds her hair back and uses his free hand to rub her back. "It's okay, sweetheart," he whispers.

When she's cleared herself up, Effie stands and faces Haymitch, her whole face whiter than ever. "Honey, that man... I may have lied to you a little," she whispers.

"What do you mean, lied to me?" he asks suspiciously. "Did you have some sort of relationship with him?"

"If you call him forcing the blade of that knife into me a relationship, then yes," she whispers, shaking. "I asked for that to be shown only to the doctors, and never released to anyone. I didn't want to scare you."

"When was that?" Haymitch asks, wanting nothing more than to resurrect the man on the floor just to smash his head in.

"When he brought me down here. He forced it into me, and told me that he hoped I'd die. I wasn't really disagreeing with him then," she murmurs. "I was very lucky not to have any visible mutilation or long-lasting damage done down there. The doctor told me that it was no worse than what I would experience with childbirth."

He glowers at the corpse again, then tugs Effie into his arms. "Princess, are you sure you want to carry on down here?" he asks softly, nuzzling her neck as he cuddles her, hoping to every deity out there that she's had enough. He can smell the rot, the stench of decaying corpses, and the smell of human waste is disgusting, and all he wants is to get out of there, his Effie in tow.

"Yes," she whispers. "I need to."

"Okay," he murmurs, completely disappointed by that response, then kisses her nose. "If you need to leave, tell me."

"I will," she murmurs. She tugs him with her to look into her old cell, then whispers "They were trying to bury me alive, weren't they?" The despair in her voice is crushing, and Haymitch hugs her close for fear of her having a panic attack.

"Yeah," Haymitch murmurs, kissing her head, hoping she'll stay in the present with him. "They tried their hardest, too. Didn't think I'd ever find you. You weren't far off their success when I found you, either."

She nods sadly. "I know. I was so sad when I learned that I'd been rescued. After all that, I just didn't want to live on," she murmurs. "Some days, I still wish I hadn't survived."

"How come?" he asks, wanting to prevent anything that makes her wish herself dead.

"It's few and far between now," Effie tells him, staring into the hole she'd been left to die in with curiosity. "It's on the very worst days. I love my life with you, and I would never trade it for anything. Death is a long way off now."

"What does that to you?" Haymitch presses, stroking her hair.

"It's the bad days. Those ones that prevent me crawling from our bed and have me in silence all day," she murmurs. "It's those ones when I can't tell if we're at home in bed or if I'm still lying in this hole, waiting to die."

He reaches down and cuddles her close, nuzzling her neck. "You're never going back in there again. I'll let you do whatever you want, but you're not going back in there," he murmurs, clinging to her. She makes a sound of distress, probably from his crushing grip, but he doesn't let up. "I mean it, tiny one. You're  _not_ going back in there. I'm good with closure and healing and all that, but  _no_."

"I never want to see the inside of this cell again," she whispers. "I hated it then, and I can't bear to lie in my own rotting filth again. I came here to put my mind at rest."

"Has it worked?" Haymitch asks, cuddling her close, easing his grip on her a little, relaxing with the reassurance that she won't try to squirm back into her cell.

"Yes," Effie murmurs. "I know I can walk out of here just as free as I was when I came in."

"That's my girl," he whispers, kissing her head gently, trying to keep both her and himself in the present moment, too aware of how hard it had been to get her out of there without breaking her further. "You're going to be just fine, Princess."

She beams up at him, then kisses his nose. "I know that. I have you," she whispers, then shuffles along the row, peeking in to see the remains of her neighbours in those cells, and she gasps when she looks into the cell next to her. "Oh, dear. Darling, come over here for a moment."

"What've you found?" Haymitch asks, walking over to her and kneeling down, seeing her horrified, ashen face. "What is it?"

"Not what," Effie whispers and looks up at him, sadness all over her face. "Who."

"Who have you found?" he asks nervously.

"I've found Portia," she whispers, pointing into the cell. The sight that greets Haymitch isn't a nice one.

**( ^ _ ^ )  ( ^ _ ^ )  ( ^ _ ^ )  ( ^ _ ^ )  ( ^ _ ^ )  ( ^ _ ^ )**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who chose not to read this, Effie found the body of a guard she'd had a particularly nasty time with in a bathroom. Haymitch comforted her, and allowed her to relax before she decided tell him about what the guard did to her, which she'd left him out of the loop about. He helped her calm down some more before they went to explore some more. Effie had a few sad memories, nothing horribly triggering for her, which she told Haymitch about as she explored, and found the body of Peeta's former stylist, Portia. 
> 
> For those of you who did read, I am so sorry. I'm just so sorry. This wouldn't be the underground Capitol cells if it wasn't horrific. I hope you're not too angry at me. If you have anything you'd like to share with me, please pop it in a comment below, whether it's thoughts, constructive criticism, or an idea for an outtake of either of the stories in this series you'd like to see.
> 
> I hope you've had a good week, and that the upcoming week treats you kindly. 
> 
> Much love and happiness to you all. Until next time. Cat. xxx


	4. Portia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haymitch and Effie have to come to terms with finding Portia's body in a cell, and they're given some new information that isn't exactly what they need.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, and welcome to a new chapter of Expanding The Team. I really hope you're all well, and that you're prepared for this chapter. I feel horrible, this is literally the most painful chapter I've had to write so far, and I don't want anyone to be upset by it, so here are a few things you want to watch out for:
> 
> \- Decaying corpses  
> \- Horrible memories  
> \- Mentions of past torture  
> \- A cruel method of murder  
> \- Trauma  
> \- Sadness
> 
> I am warning you in advance. I don't want any of you to be distressed by this story, it's not intended to hurt anyone or make anyone uncomfortable. This story is literally for entertainment purposes. I know it's dark, and that can lead to bad memories for people. If you need to skip this, I will fill you in at the end. There will be parts that are readable by everyone, I promise. 
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games, its characters, or its world. All rights go to Suzanne Collins, and I am not Suzanne. I just like playing around with her characters.

**(!)  (!)  (!)  (!)  (!)  (!)**

He grabs Effie automatically, pulling her away from the cell with their friend's body lying there. "Forget it, Effie. Forget it. We're not staying here, I don't care how much you plead to keep looking. This is enough," he says. "I'm getting the owner down here to have her body removed, and I'm getting you out of here."

Effie nods in silence, turning to cuddle him. She leaves with him in silence, the look on her face just confirming that he'd been right all along. The ride up to ground level is silent, the tension in the air so thick that they could have cut it with a knife. Once out in the bright sun, the two of them blink rapidly as their eyes adjust, only to be faced with the current owner of the building. "Well, that is  _not_ the happy look I expected," he says. "What's the matter?"

"She found one of our friends down there," Haymitch says gruffly, cuddling Effie tightly. 

"That's impossible, sir," the owner says. "We scoured out all of the cells, each and every one."

"There's a staircase," Effie whispers. "Haymitch knows about it, that's how he saved me. Our friend and I were down there."

"Show me," the owner says. 

Haymitch looks at Effie and says "I'm not leaving her alone, and she's  _not_ going back down there."

The nearby Peacekeeper says "I'll keep her safe up here. I know who she is, and I know who you are. She'll be safe up here."

"If I come back to find her hurt in any way, it's your neck on the line," Haymitch warns, then kisses Effie gently. "Are you going to be okay, Bug?"

"I'll be fine," she says softly, petting him. "You go and help him so that he isn't living with the ghost of Portia."

Haymitch looks distrustful, but nods reluctantly. "The second you need me, you text me, yeah?" he asks.

"I'll do anything," she agrees. "Be safe, my darling."

He reluctantly shows the owner of the building down to the cells where he found Effie, and they found Portia. "Here. These are the cells they left them in," he says, looking at the cell containing Portia's body. 

"Okay," the owner says slowly, then leaves to make a call.

He returns with a team of people, and they remove Portia's remains from the cell. Haymitch feels a pang of guilt, wondering if there was anything to be done for her when he'd found Effie. He doesn't want to ask her, fearful of triggering her again. He and the owner return upstairs, right to the top, and outside, Effie runs into his arms, clinging tightly to him. "Are you okay, little squish?" he asks, kissing her head softly.

"I saw her properly," Effie whispers. "She had no family besides Cinna when she was taken. We should do something, Haymitch. I don't want her to just be forgotten. I want her to have a proper funeral. I should have tried to help her. I could have done more for her when she was alive."

"I'm already on it," he says. "She'll get a funeral she'd be proud of. I promise. I'm more concerned with you right now. How are you feeling?"

"Sad, guilty, helpless, and like a complete idiot," she murmurs. "I'm also feeling very loved, so can we please keep cuddling?"

He squeezes her gently, then asks "Why do you feel like an idiot?"

"Because I wanted to come back here. I don't regret it, because we got Portia out of there, even though we were far too late, but I feel stupid because I really wasn't ready to come back," she sighs. "I'm sorry I dragged you here."

"You didn't drag me here, I came here willingly. Good job, too. That place is  _loaded_ with corpses, you would have reburied yourself in there if you were alone," he murmurs, kissing her head. "Are you still with me?"

"Yes," she replies, snuggling up to him. Her voice is strong enough that he believes her and picks her up, hugging her properly. "After we get to the hotel, you and I are going to remove those memories from ourselves. Agreed?"

"Sure," he mutters, nuzzling her neck. "I wouldn't mind forgetting that."

"Mr Abernathy? Miss Trinket?" the owner of the building asks. The unnerved tone to his voice unsettles both Haymitch and Effie deeply. 

Effie tilts her head a little. "Oh, hello. I'm sorry, Mr Brassbaum, I didn't thank you for letting us go down into the cells."

"What's up?" Haymitch asks, turning a bit to shield Effie.

She just pops her head over his shoulder, resting her head in the crook of his neck. "The cells you found your friend in," the man says slowly, uncertainty lacing his tone.

"Yeah?" Haymitch prods, rubbing Effie's back gently.

"They aren't cells," Mr Brassbaum tells them uncomfortably. "That's the sewers."

"That explains the smells," Effie says. "And why there were regular floods of grossness I couldn't identify."

**( ^ _ ^ )  ( ^ _ ^ )  ( ^ _ ^ )  ( ^ _ ^ )  ( ^ _ ^ )  ( ^ _ ^ )**

Mr Brassbaum looks uncomfortable, and Haymitch tenderly presses a kiss on Effie's head. "So why did we find Portia down there?" Haymitch asks.

"Well, I don't know," Mr Brassbaum tells him, shrugging. "You'll have to ask Flint Bruntlock, he was a higher-up official during the war, he made the decisions."

Haymitch's face darkens. "Okay, I'll need to find him. Where is he?" he asks, squeezing Effie a little too tightly.

Effie squeaks "Haymitch, I need my ribs! They're getting squished!"

He puts her down, gently rubbing her sides. "You okay?" he asks, then kisses her nose.

"Yes," Effie sighs, then looks at Mr Brassbaum. "So, do you have Mr Bruntlock's details?"

He hands them a cell phone number. "This is his work number," he says. "You have to call him."

Haymitch nods, then says "I'm going to do that."

He drags Effie away, barely registering her squeaked "Thank you!" over her shoulder to the man, who is left bemused by Haymitch's abruptness.

Haymitch dials the man's number and hears a woman ask "Bruntlock's Boating, how may I help you?"

"Can I speak to your boss?" Haymitch asks, barely hiding his fury. "It's urgent."

"Redirecting you now, sir," the woman says.

Effie looks up at him, a small smile on her face. "I love when you get all angry at people," she purrs.

He smirks a little at her, but as soon as he hears "Flint Bruntlock, who am I speaking to?" his fury returns with a vengeance.

"Haymitch Abernathy," Haymitch replies. "I need a word with you, face to face. Where are you?"

"By the docks, in my office," the man says. "May I ask why you're calling?"

"Nope," Haymitch replies, then hangs up.

He hails a cab and opens the door for Effie. She gets in with a pleased smile, and as soon as he's in the car, she snuggles up to him. He slams the door shut and looks at the driver. "Where to, sir?" the driver asks.

"Bruntlock's Boating," Haymitch growls. 

Effie smiles, and as soon as the screen's up, she peppers kisses on Haymitch's jaw. "I think you're going to hate that I overcame my fear of sex by the time this holiday's over," she purrs. "Especially if you keep this sexy stuff up. Why are you attractive?"

"Because you're blind," he chuckles. "And weird."

"Oh, I'm definitely weird," she giggles. "But I'm not blind. You're gorgeous."

He laughs and gently strokes her thigh. "The gorgeous one around here is you, Bug," he murmurs. "And I can't wait to get to that hotel to show you just how gorgeous you truly are."

She squeaks eagerly, then presses her lips to his. The screen winds down, and the driver chuckles "This cab is a strict no-sex zone, kids."

She winds the screen back up again and Haymitch asks "Did she just call us kids?"

"Yes," Effie replies proudly. "I'm flattered, actually."

"We're  _not_ having a threesome with her," he mutters darkly, possessively squeezing Effie's thigh. "We'd probably kill her, she's old enough to be my grandmother."

"I wasn't suggesting that," Effie laughs. "You dirty, dirty man. I was just saying that being called a kid is flattering."

He rolls his eyes and kisses her gently. The screen winds down and the woman driving says "We're here, kids. You can hop on out."

Haymitch hands her fifty dollars, and says "If there's change, keep it."

"There's forty dollars change," the woman chuckles.

"Then keep it," Haymitch says, getting out and leaving the door open for Effie. "Come on, Bug."

"Thank you," Effie says, smiling, then scrambles out of the car. She closes the door softly, then wraps her arm around Haymitch's. "Well, gorgeous, what now?"

"Now, I'm going to get answers," Haymitch snarls, storming toward the building.

She runs alongside him and squeaks "Slow down, I have tiny legs!"

"I'm buying you some rollerskates, Trinks, I don't have all day," he grumbles, but he slows down for her. "It's a good thing you're cute, Bug."

"I know," she hums, cuddling up to him. "If you didn't think of me as cute, I'd be exhausted."

Inside, the secretary asks "Mr Abernathy?"

"Yeah," Haymitch says. "I need to see your boss. He already knows I'm supposed to be here."

"Okay," she says, then studies Effie. "Who's the woman?"

"My fiancee," Haymitch says, making Effie beam with pride. "We're in a hurry."

The woman leads them to an office and leans in. "Mr Bruntlock? I have Haymitch Abernathy and his fiancee to see you."

"Let them in," Flint Bruntlock sighs. The woman lets them in, and Effie immediately pales at the sight of him. Bruntlock's eyes widen at the sight of her, and he asks "I don't believe this. Euphemia Trinket?"

"That's me," Effie whispers, stepping in front of Haymitch in an instinctive move to protect him. "And I'm a lot stronger than I was when we last spoke."

Bruntlock nods, looking like he's seen a ghost. Haymitch gently places his hands on Effie's stomach and guides her away from him, edging her behind him. "We're here to discuss those cells she was put in right before the end of the war," he says.

**(!)  (!)  (!)  (!)  (!)  (!)**

That makes Bruntlock pale considerably more, making his pale gold skin look almost translucent. "Oh, th-those," he stutters. 

"Yeah, those," Haymitch says, the casual tone laced with fury. "We were just meeting with the owner of the building. See, my fiancee here wanted to see if her therapy has worked well enough to let her go back without sending her back to square one, and we found the body of a friend in there. They're excavating the whole place now."

"What does this have to do with the cells?" Bruntlock asks.

"Well, you see, we discussed those with the new owner, and he spoke to the former owner, who told us that the place where we found our friend, and where this little sweetheart was kept, was actually the sewers under the building," Haymitch tells him, almost as if they were discussing the weather. The malice in his voice isn't exactly hidden, however. "My question is why were they kept down there if they weren't cells?"

Bruntlock looks at Effie, then at Haymitch, looking extremely awkward. "Well, uh... Uh..." he stutters.

"Out with it," Haymitch snarls. "Why were they kept down there?"

"They were weak," Bruntlock tells him, almost sounding ashamed. "They weren't going to last much longer. The only other person down there was your female stylist, and she was dying long before Miss Trinket was sent down there."

"Why were they kept down there, though?" Haymitch asks, glaring now.

Bruntlock sighs softly, then says "They were kept down there so that they could die peacefully. They were too weak to be interrogated. The stylist couldn't even talk any more. We had no other choice. They were taking up space, we had to dispose of them."

Effie whines softly, grabbing Haymitch's hand. Haymitch snarls "Portia was a  _person_ , not trash to be thrown away. Effie is a person, and you're  _damn lucky_ I got to her before she died, or I'd have found you one hell of a lot faster."

"I was following orders," Bruntlock says. "I never had any dealings with either of them personally."

"I can tell," Haymitch snarls. "If you'd ever spoken to either of them, you'd never have done what you did."

"Those cells down in the sewers were the only way to give them a peaceful death," Bruntlock says. "It was an act of mercy. They could just dehydrate until death peacefully."

"An act of  _mercy_?!" Effie explodes, fury flashing over her face. She slaps Bruntlock hard around the head, then bellows "That was not merciful, or peaceful! Before she died, my best friend was covered in the vile excretions from  _your_ staff's bodies! Before my fiance found me,  _I_ was covered in the disgusting effluvia regularly! There was no peace in that, nor  _any_ mercy! You are a disgrace to humankind! I've been waiting for  _two years_ to give you a piece of my mind, Flint Bruntlock, and I swear down, if I could only inflict an  _eighth_ of the torment you indirectly imposed on me upon you, I would do it in a heartbeat! You disgust me! I genuinely hope that you're haunted by everything you've done to innocents throughout the whole war for the rest of your pathetic life!"

Bruntlock stares at her, stunned silent, then Haymitch murmurs "I've never been more terrified or more turned on in my life."

"Good, because we're leaving," Effie says, then grabs his hand. "Come on."

**( ^ _ ^ )  ( ^ _ ^ )  ( ^ _ ^ )  ( ^ _ ^ )  ( ^ _ ^ )  ( ^ _ ^ )**

She tugs him out, waves goodbye to the secretary, and hails them another cab. Once they're safely in the back of the cab, Haymitch hugs Effie close and asks "Are you okay?"

"No," she whispers. "I'm so humiliated. I can't believe I did that."

"He had it coming," Haymitch murmurs, kissing her head. "Honestly, that was kind of hot. You're scary when you're angry."

"If you didn't already know that, it's because I'm usually much nicer to you," she whispers. "I shouldn't have been so rude."

"You should have beaten him with a chair," Haymitch scoffs. "I wanted to kill him for what he did to you. He got off lightly with that smack and the yelling."

Effie just sighs, then presses her nose against his neck. "I want to think about something else now," she whispers. "Like that comment you made in there. Something about being both terrified and turned on?"

Haymitch chuckles and kisses her gently. "Wait until we get to the hotel, Bug. Then we can have rough sex all over the place," he murmurs.

"Is that a promise?" she asks hopefully.

"Of course it is," he mutters. "I don't joke about that."

That leaves them feeling extremely impatient to get home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, for those of you who didn't read the darker parts of this, Haymitch and Effie alerted someone to finding Portia in a cell, and when she was removed, someone who had once worked as a higher up official there informed them that the underground cells where Effie and Portia were kept were methods of leaving prisoners to die on their own (in the nicest way of saying something so cruel). That distressed Effie badly, and she proceeded to give the former official a real reason to fear small things like her.
> 
> That said, I hope everyone who has read any of this is okay, and I really am sorry if you're upset by this. It is fictional, and made up, seeing as none of it was ever brought up in canon (thankfully). 
> 
> If you have anything you'd like to say, whether it's constructive criticism, ideas for outtakes, theories on the story, questions you want me to answer, or if you need to talk, please feel free to leave it in a comment, or DM me on Twitter. 
> 
> Much love and happiness to you all, and I hope you have a good week. Cat. xxx


	5. Hotel Room

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haymitch and Effie arrive in their hotel room in the city.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! We're finally getting something lighthearted! I'm so happy! This was much easier to write than the last few chapters, which I admit I procrastinated a little on writing. That said, stuff in this chapter is for adults only as it gets explicit and I don't want to ruin any innocence. It's such a rare thing these days. 
> 
> Now that I've said that, disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games, its characters, or its world. All rights go to Suzanne Collins, and I am not Suzanne. I just like playing around with her characters.

Once inside their room, Effie studies their king size bed and smiles. "That looks extremely comfortable," she sighs happily, then reaches up under her blouse and undoes her bra, then slides her arms free. She pulls it out of her blouse with a happy sigh and flings it across the room. "No more bra for me."

She quickly removes the matching lacy thong and drops them on the ground before running at the bed and dropping on it with a contented sigh. "Princess, did you really just remove your underwear to lie on the bed?" Haymitch chuckles.

"Yes," she replies, stretching out happily. "It was bothering me."

"Why didn't you just take off the rest of your clothes?" he asks, smirking. "Would have made for a nice view."

"You're dirty," she giggles. "I wanted you to watch that and know that I'm not wearing any underwear. That said, I'm hungry, can we order room service? I saw the menu, they've got that curry we like so much."

"Sure," he chuckles. "I fully expect you naked when I get back in here."

She smiles. "Okay," she says. "That goes against my earlier plans to have you take them off me, but fine. You have to come back in here naked, though."

"Done," Haymitch replies eagerly.

"Not really, you're still dressed," she scoffs. "Go and take off those clothes, I've got big plans."

Haymitch leaves to go and order their food, and undresses the moment he hangs up. He stretches out, enjoying the feeling of being completely unrestricted, then strolls back toward their room, finding Effie lounging against the pillows, her clothes randomly scattered around the room, and munching on a chocolate bar. "Where were you keeping that?" he asks, smirking.

"In the mini fridge," Effie replies happily. "I had a peek, there's so much chocolate. It made me happy. Go grab some, you'll want the energy."

Haymitch chuckles and says "I don't really want candy, Eff." 

He climbs up on the bed and lies across it, propping himself up on his elbows so that he can watch her eat. "You could lie on the bed properly," she chuckles, petting him. "It's far more comfortable than lying there and having to crane your neck to look at me."

"But this way, I can look at you  _and_ do this," Haymitch says innocently, then gently kisses her stomach before continuing "At the same time. See? Perfect place to be."

"You're weird," she hums, petting him as she finishes her chocolate. "That was nice. Now, you, I'm going to go and clean my teeth so that you're not tasting chocolate mush when we're kissing."

He makes a face, then strokes her thigh gently. "Be quick, yeah? It's getting cold in here," he says, smirking a little as he squeezes her thigh.

"I'll be quick, I don't want you to freeze to death under the appalling conditions of the air conditioner," she mocks gently, kissing his head as she stands up. "You stay right there, gorgeous, I'm coming right back to have my wicked way with you."

She strolls away and Haymitch calls "I look forward to it, Bug!"

**(!)  (!)  (!)  (!)  (!)  (!)**

Effie returns to the bedroom with a beaming smile on her face. She strolls casually to the bed and lies down gently on top of Haymitch. "Well, hello, handsome," she purrs, wrapping her arms around him. She presses a gentle peck on his lips, then whispers "I think you're in desperate need of a treat."

"You do, huh?" he asks, smirking at her as he gently grabs her bottom. "Lucky me. What kind of treat are we talking about?"

"You can pick," she whispers. "It's  _your_ treat. Whatever you want goes."

He looks delighted at this, pulling her in for a kiss. "In that case, you need to be kissed," he murmurs.  
  
She giggles and snuggles close, kissing him tenderly. She slowly starts to kiss her way down his body, gently stroking his body as she does. "I love you," she murmurs.  
  
Before he can respond to her, his sight flashes white as her lips wrap around his length. She hums softly in appreciation, gently rubbing her tongue against his skin. He groans and tugs on her hair, lightly guiding her head. She hums around him again, gently sucking and scraping her teeth against his skin as she bobs her head up and down. "Effie," he groans as he gets close. "Sweetheart..."

She glances up and blinks her consent, continuing to gently suck him, her jaw working tirelessly as she brings him to the brink of orgasm. She moans softly, the sound muffled by his swollen member, and the vibrations from her moan surge through him, pushing him into the sweet oblivion of his orgasm. She sucks and swallows expertly, used to this from the last few years of experience, then sits back. She grabs a tissue from the bedside table and wipes her face clean before she kisses him gently. "How do you feel?" she asks softly, running her hand up and down his stomach as she peppers kisses over his cheek and jaw.  
  
"Like I couldn't have picked a more brilliant choice of bride," he mutters, cuddling her. "I need a minute before I can do anything to you."  
  
She giggles and whispers "Don't think about me tonight. Think of what you want."  
  
"Which is it? Do I think about what I want, or do I not think of you?" he asks, reaching to squeeze her hip.  
  
She smiles and kisses him again. "You say the sweetest things sometimes," she whispers, then hugs him close. "Now don't ruin it, let me be pleased that you still want me."  
  
"Still? Princess, the day I stop wanting to have you bent over the nearest flat surface, I'll be dead and buried," he says, kissing her lips tenderly. "Now, come here, you. I don't even need to have stamina for this."  
  
"Oh?" she asks, getting a hard, passionate kiss in response. The kiss breaks all too soon, leaving her head spinning. He slowly kisses and nips his way down her neck, lovingly running his hands over her body. He leaves a little love bite on her collarbone, then kisses his way over her chest, teasingly licking the dip of her cleavage, then kisses her breasts. He licks and kisses his way down her stomach, leaving a little love bite on her lower stomach. She gasps and whispers "Honey..."

He kisses her leg all the way down to her ankle, then all the way back up her other leg, just to nuzzle tenderly at the apex of her thighs. She lets out a soft squeak of pleasure and tangles her fingers in his hair. He grins and runs his tongue down her slit gently, causing her breath to catch in her throat. He licks her again, then slowly circles her clit with his tongue, barely even brushing it. She yelps happily, her hips bucking, and he moves back a little. "Slow down, sweetheart, I've barely gotten started," he chuckles.  
  
He resumes his earlier position and slowly licks her clit again, and sucks on it lightly before lowering himself further. He licks at her opening softly, his nose gently bumping on her clit, his hands coming up to rest on her hips. As she whimpers, he pushes his tongue into her, smirking as her walls contract around his tongue. He keeps the slow pace as he licks her, then withdraws his tongue. She whines and he lets her squirm before he slowly dips his tongue back into her. He slowly licks her, pushing his tongue in as far as he can before withdrawing it to circle around her opening. "Haymitch," she moans, tugging gently on his hair. He doesn't immediately respond, slowly pushing his tongue back into her. He continues to tease her, his hands gently roaming her thighs, hips, and lower stomach, his tongue slowly sliding in and out of her, nowhere near enough to give her the release she needs. She wriggles impatiently, tugging harder on his hair. He sucks on her clit softly, only to get a deep, guttural moan from her, and a gasp of "Come on, Haymitch, enough teasing!"

He laughs quietly and goes for it, plunging his tongue into her, flicking it against her silken skin rapidly before withdrawing his tongue again. He repeats his ministrations until he reaches the slightly rougher patch of skin deep inside her. Her loud whine makes him chuckle softly as he rubs his tongue against her skin, one hand sliding up her thigh to rest on her stomach. His other hand comes up to rub her clit gently as he works his tongue inside her. The two sensations combined catch her off guard, and without any warning, her orgasm takes her over. Haymitch patiently licks her until she's come down from her high and backs away, wiping his almost-beard dry. He kisses his way back up her body, trying to ignore his painful erection as he lies down next to her and presses a gentle kiss on her lips. "You're beautiful," he tells her quietly.

"You're gorgeous," Effie whispers back, then glances down. "And still hard, so my job isn't done here yet. I want you  _boneless_ by the time we're done tonight."

He chuckles and kisses her gently, then rolls over onto her, propping himself up on his arms. "Well, fine with me, as long as you're just as boneless as me," he says. 

"I hope to be," she giggles, then tugs him closer. "I want a kiss."

She meets him halfway, pressing her lips to his and holding him close to her, just enjoying the warm feel of his skin on hers, and the way the feeling of his lips on hers sends spirals of warmth and belonging through her. The kiss deepens, and Haymitch winds his arms around Effie gently, holding her to him and appreciating the warm and slightly sticky feeling of their bodies pressed together. The kiss continues for a few minutes with only split second intervals for air and for them to roll over. letting her be on top for a minute or two, then Effie breaks the kiss. "Eff," Haymitch groans, disappointed by the kiss ending. She drops several soft kisses all over his jaw, and all down his neck. "Princess..."

"Just a few more minutes, darling," she whispers, kissing his collarbones. She scrapes his skin with her teeth lightly, her hands roaming his stomach and waist. "Mine."

"All yours," he murmurs, exploring her body with his hands. She nips gently at the hollow of his throat before descending downwards. "Effie..."

"Don't worry, I'm nearly done," she hums, kissing her way across his chest. She licks and sucks lightly on each of his nipples, gently raking her nails over his sides as she does. He tangles his fingers in her hair, urging her to his more sensitive areas. She obliges him, kissing each and every part of him before he grabs her hips and flips her under him, smirking at her yelp. "Haymitch!"

"Enough playing," he murmurs, kissing her gently. His knuckles brush against her stomach as he reaches down between them. He grips himself and gently slides his tip throuh her wetness, his eyes on hers. She moans softly and wraps her legs around his waist, reaching up to grab his hair. He smirks and kisses her gently, sliding his member into her slowly. Her soft moan makes him smile, and he allows himself to slowly sink into her, and stays nestled there until she tightens her legs around his waist as a sign that she's ready for him to move. He does, withdrawing nearly the whole way, just to sink back into her. She whines softly and he asks "Okay?"

"Faster," she whispers, reaching up to cup his cheek. "As fast as you can, sweetest."

He smirks and does as she asks, speeding up his movements to match hers. Her whimpers and squeaks quickly turn into moans and screams, and this is only fuelled by him leaning down to bite at her neck. She grabs his behind and squeezes roughly, her sharp nails digging into his firm flesh as her hips pound against his. "Effie!" he growls, the pain doing nothing to counteract the pleasure he's getting. "Damn, woman..."

She moans happily, and screams as one extremely powerful thrust has him hitting  _that_ spot deep within her. "Haymitch!" She leans up and bites his shoulder, pressing her own body up against his. "Oh, that's it! Right there!"

He pounds into her harder, matching her speed. "Come on, Eff," he groans, kissing her lips hard enough to bruise. 

She moans into the kiss, pulling him closer and tugging on his hair. He pulls away to suck on her neck, and hears an ear-splitting scream of "Haymitch!"

He chuckles against her neck, and runs his hand over her stomach and ribs, feeling her heart race against her ribs. "That's it, sweetheart," he mutters, straining to hold back.

"Haymitch!" she shrieks. "I'm close, darling, so close."

He grabs her hand and tugs it out of his hair, guiding it down to where their bodies are joined. "Touch yourself," he murmurs, kissing her throat softly. 

She whines softly, but does as he asks, rubbing her clit in time with his thrusts, her back arching from the pleasure. "Haymitch," she gasps, her eyes locking on his. 

"Yeah?" he grunts, trying his best not to cum before her.

"Together?" she asks breathlessly, squirming harder than ever. 

He briefly kisses her lips, then asks "Don't you want me to pull out?"

"Not a chance," she gasps. "Please?"

He kisses her harder than ever, squeezing her bottom hard, allowing himself to cum as soon as she does, holding her as her body thrashes under his. Their movements slow as they come down from their highs, and he slowly pulls out of her, lying down next to her. He rests his hand on her stomach and watches her blissful expression morph into a smile as she looks over at him. "You okay?" he asks softly, rubbing her stomach softly.

"Boneless," she whispers. "I feel amazing. How are you?"

"I feel great, sweetheart. Nothing feels as good as doing you," he chuckles.

"Dirty man," she huffs fondly. "Do you have to make it sound so crude? I know you're not a big fan of calling it lovemaking, but can't you say having sex?"

"You love it," he chuckles, then kisses her. "Fine, nothing's as good as having sex with you."

"Better," she giggles approvingly. "Now, darling, I'd like to sleep. Hopefully my bones will work tomorrow."

He chuckles. "If I wake up hard, you're not getting out of bed tomorrow," he mutters, kissing her cheek. "Okay, come here."

He pulls her into a hug, and she snuggles against his chest. "Here," she whispers. "I love you."

"Night, Bug," he murmurs, kissing her forehead.

**( ^ _ ^ )  ( ^ _ ^ )  ( ^ _ ^ )  ( ^ _ ^ )  ( ^ _ ^ )  ( ^ _ ^ )**

* * *

Haymitch isn't sure what time he fell asleep at, but the visions of Portia's body, then Effie lying on the floor in those sewers, broken and nearly dead at his feet, and her vivid screams as he tries to lift her float through his head, and he jolts awake. The screams don't stop, even though the hotel room is coming back into focus and he's aware that they're no longer in those sewers. He looks around to find Effie curled up on her side, screaming as if she's being torn apart limb from limb, and immediately grabs her shoulder. "Effie," he says softly, not wanting to jolt her awake for fear of being hit and her consequent sadness over hitting him. "Princess, wake up."

"Stop! Please! She doesn't- No! No!" Effie screams, cowering away from whatever she's seeing in her mind's eye. "Stop it! I'm begging you! Don't! No! No, don't throw me back in there! Please! I'm innocent! Help! Someone help me!"

"Effie, sweetheart," Haymitch tries, a little louder. "Bug, come on!"

Effie screams, the sound nearly piercing his eardrums, and wails "Let me go! Please! I'll do anything! No! Don't go away! Come back! Let me out! Please! Please! I'm not a criminal! I need to be free! Help!"

"Effie!" Haymitch shouts, shaking her now. "Effie, wake the hell up already!"

"No! Oh, no! No! No! What do you want me to-  _Put him down! Give him back! Mine! No!_ " Effie screams. "No! Not him!"

Deciding to end the horror for her, Haymitch scoops her up as she writhes, lies her down in the hotel bathtub, and sprays her with icy water. She wakes with a shriek, and he sighs in relief. "Hey, Bug," he says softly, turning off the water.

"Haymitch?" she whimpers. "Why am I wet?"

"I couldn't wake you, and you were screaming," he tells her. "Am I okay to pick you up?"

"Yes," she whispers, reaching up. "I need a cuddle."

He scoops her up and kisses her forehead, grabbing a towel to wipe her dry with. "I've got you, Bug," he murmurs. He takes her back to their bed and sits her down, then dries her off. "Want to talk about it?"

"Mm," she whispers. 

"When you're ready," he says, kissing her nose softly.

**(!)  (!)  (!)  (!)  (!)  (!)**

"I was back there, as a prisoner," she whispers. "I was watching Portia be beaten, and they shot her, which they didn't really do, then they turned on me. They were beating me, and beating me more, then they... They left me. They just _left me_. And when they came back..."

She breaks off, choking on her words. "What did they do?" he asks softly, petting her. "Or do you not want to say?"

She shakes her head and sobs "He was  _mine_ , Haymitch. I don't know how, but he was  _mine_. And... And th-they..."

Haymitch sighs and allows Effie to fling herself at him, cuddling her tightly. "It's okay, Bug. All okay," he tells her. "You're never going back there. Closure be damned, that place set us back."

"He was so tiny, Haymitch," Effie sobs. "They'd  _starved_ him."

"Who was he?" Haymitch asks. 

"Mine," Effie sobs. "I don't know his name, or who he really was, but he was  _mine_. I had to protect him. I know he never existed really, but I  _had to protect him_ , he was mine to protect, and I failed him."

"If he didn't exist, beautiful, you didn't fail anyone," Haymitch whispers. "He didn't exist. What did he look like?"

"He looked like you," Effie sniffs. "That's how I knew he was mine."

A horrible feeling washes over him. "Effie, you... You never got pregnant and didn't tell me, did you?" he asks, kissing her head.

"No," she sobs. "I didn't. Not once."

He relaxes a little. "How old was this  _he_?" Haymitch asks.

"A baby," Effie sobs. "He was starved, and bruised all over. I knew I'd failed him. But he was  _my_ baby, Haymitch. I loved him, and they hurt him."

He kisses her again, cuddling her close. "Any kids of ours will  _never_ get hurt," he vows. "Ever. I refuse to allow it. We'll protect our babies with everything we have and more."

"Agreed," Effie sobs.

**( ^ _ ^ ) ( ^ _ ^ ) ( ^ _ ^ ) ( ^ _ ^ ) ( ^ _ ^ ) ( ^ _ ^ )**

He cuddles her for a little while longer, then asks "Do you want to sleep some more, beautiful?" 

"Yes," she sniffs. "As long as we're cuddling. You keep my bad dreams away."

"And you keep mine away," he whispers. "We match now."

They go back under their duvet for a bit of warmth and protection from the first rays of light, and cuddle up to each other in a tangled heap of limbs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There we go. New chapter. How do you think Hayffie will fare now that the nightmares are back? As always, if you have any requests for the outtakes series, newly titled "Always A Team - Outtakes", any theories on this story, any constructive criticism, or any questions you'd like answered, please post them in a comment below.
> 
> How has your week been? If you want a chat, comment below, or DM me on Twitter (@BlackCatS46). 
> 
> Much love and happiness to you all. Until next time. Cat xxx


	6. Early Arrivals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haymitch and Effie are in for a surprise when they wake up for the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone. Here is something a little softer. I know that this story has been very dark so far, so this is just to ease some of the tension. I've had to split this day out in two, because it grew gigantic before I even had a chance to get the rest of it in.
> 
> Now that I've said that, disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games, its characters, or its world. All rights go to Suzanne Collins, and I am not Suzanne. I just like playing around with her characters.

Birds are chirping, the sun is shining, and the racket wakes both Haymitch and Effie. Haymitch smirks at his disgruntled, morning-despising fiancee as she grumbles and pulls a pillow onto her head. "Go away, birds and sunlight, it's too early for this nonsense! I'm still sleeping!" she groans.

"Good morning, beautiful creature," Haymitch chuckles, rubbing Effie's back, knowing it'll tick her off for a few hours.

"I'm not a beautiful creature," she grumbles. "I'm a dead creature. As in,  _no_!"

"You're in need of coffee, then," he remarks, kissing her between her shoulder blades.

"No kisses, no coffee, I'm asleep!" she groans, snuggling down. "Let me be a dead thing for a few more hours."

That plan is immediately ruined by the door slamming open. "Hey, hey, Abernathy and Trinket, where are you?!" Katniss bellows.

Effie squeaks, sitting up. "They're early!" she squeaks. "They weren't due here until tomorrow!"  
  
Haymitch groans and rolls over, rubbing Effie's back gently. "Lie down, Princess, pretend we're not here," he tells her, tugging her down to lie with him.

As soon as she snuggled up to him, the bedroom door bangs open and the two younger adults enter. "You lazy excuses for people!" Katniss exclaims. "Tell me you're at least dressed."

Haymitch rolls his eyes and gets out of bed, displaying everything he has to offer. "Does this look like we're dressed?" he asks, gesturing.  
  
Effie bolts up, holding the sheets to her chest and a pillow in her free hand. She leans over and holds the pillow over his privates. "Haymitch! Mine! No showing the children!" she hisses.

"Ew," Katniss groans. "Are you wearing anything?"

"Sheets," Haymitch tells her. "She's wearing a sheet."

"I hate you," Effie grumbles. "Look, kids, just go and sit in the living room, I'll come get you some coffee in a minute when I put some clothes on."

They run, or in Katniss's case, waddle out of the room. Effie sighs and swings herself out of bed, grabbing some underwear and a dress. "Do you have to put clothes on?" Haymitch asks petulantly.

"Yes, because our kids are waiting in the other room. Now put some boxers on, I don't want them seeing what gives me pleasure," she grumbles, strolling into the bathroom. She returns five minutes later, washed and dressed, to find Haymitch on the bed, still naked. "Honey, clothes. I will go on a sex strike."  
  
He bolts up and puts his boxers on as quickly as he can, horrified at the very idea of not having sex for weeks. Effie smirks smugly, then scurries to the living room to make coffee for the two younger adults. "Are you decent?" Peeta asks.  
  
"Yes, darling, you've no need to worry," Effie chuckles. "So, tea, coffee?"  
  
"Tea," Katniss says. "Coffee's bad for the baby, apparently."  
  
"Tea, please," Peeta replies, smiling sightly at the reminder of his daughter. "Solidarity and all that."  
  
Effie smiles proudly. "You two are already amazing parents," she sighs, wistfully smiling.  
  
"Effie, you've got less than a month before we start trying," Haymitch says. "Just think of how pretty you'll look in your wedding dress."

"If I'm only a few weeks along, it won't matter too much," Effie hums, preparing tea for the unexpectedly early arrivals, and coffee for herself and Haymitch. "Usually, baby bumps don't show until the third month. Unless there's more than one baby or the mom's body shows babies more than the average woman's body would."

"Someone's done her research," Katniss mutters. "Aren't you concerned about getting pregnant before you get married?"

"Not really, the wedding's in a few weeks," Effie hums, taking the tea to them. "I think that the sooner, the better. I'm not getting any younger, or any more impatient to have a period. Those things  _hurt_."

"Not as much as carrying a whole human on your spine," Katniss says, glancing down at her stomach. "It really, really hurts."

"I haven't missed your whining," Haymitch mutters as Effie passes him his coffee and shoots him a dirty look. "Well, I haven't."

"Your mother should have told you that if you have nothing nice to say, you shouldn't speak," Effie hisses. "Why must you be so antagonistic toward the poor girl? It's not like she hasn't got a reason to complain."

"Thanks, Effie," Katniss says, then sips her tea.

Peeta looks to Effie and asks "How long have you been accepting of having a baby come into your life before marriage?"

"Since last night," Effie says, shooting Haymitch a flirty look. "I don't think it'd be so bad."

Haymitch grins, then wraps his arm around her waist. "You should have said, Bug. I'd have kept you up all night," he says.

"We were both shattered, Haymitch, neither of us would have made it all night," Effie chuckles. "Very ambitious, though. I love that."

"I'll show you ambitious," he mutters, kissing her nose.

"Save the flirting for later," Peeta almost whines. 

Effie grins sweetly. "You'll all be very pleased, my sweets, we're going to a lovely little teashop for our lunch, and then we're going on a tour bus to see all the sights the Capitol has to offer!" she tells them cheerily.

"You're  _joking_ ," Haymitch says, staring at her. "I thought we were going to stay in today."

"Well, we were," Effie replies. "But the children haven't done the city tour yet, and I think they should. It'll be fun. We can snuggle on the top deck of the tour bus."

“That's good,” Haymitch mutters softly. “I'll have to find a way to have you in a dark alley without the kids seeing us.”

“The kids can hear you!” Katniss scoffs. 

“You might want to stop listening, then,” Haymitch grumbles. “I'm not going to stop trying to get into her pants just because you're somehow still a prude.” 

“Haymitch! Rude!” Effie exclaims. 

“Katniss has a point,” Peeta pipes in. “It's like watching our parents sex talk each other. Disgusting and disturbing.” 

“I think this is where we need to be offended,” Effie chuckles. “Peeta, honey, we're all adults here. Haymitch is a hot man, and I'm a weak-willed woman. You don't hear us whining when you flirt with your wife.”

“We keep our flirting away from you, though,” Katniss argues. “We don't greet you when we're naked, either.” 

“Not fair, you showed up early, and walked into our bedroom while we were asleep,” Haymitch says defensively. “You know that we have sex, and that she's hot. We're entitled to sleep naked, just as much as you two are."

"Okay!" Effie squeaks loudly. "Enough of the sex talk!"

Silence falls over the room as all three of them stare at her. "Uh," Haymitch says awkwardly.

Effie blushes and squeaks "You know what I mean! No more talking about sex, or nudity, or anything! Nice, non-invasive, not disturbing in any way at all talks only! I'm going to get my makeup on. Squishy, with me. I don't trust that mouth of yours around these kids." She tugs Haymitch to the bedroom and shoves him onto their bed. "You don't leave here until I do," she says, sitting at the vanity desk.

Haymitch smirks at her, then asks "Could you find a dress with a lower neckline, sweetheart? It'd make for a  _very_ nice view. Don't you have one in your bag?"

"Not while there are children around," Effie huffs, digging around her makeup bag.

He gets up and stands behind her, gently rubbing her neck and shoulders. "Relax, Bug, they know how sex works. It's just fun to rattle them up. You should be pleased that I'm not picking on you," he says, trying to work the tension out of her neck. "You're all tense again. I clearly didn't do enough last night."

"Mm, I wouldn't object to you trying again tonight," she hums, leaning on him. "I happened to really enjoy that last night. If you're willing to, we could even have a bit of play tonight..."

"Effie, come on, you don't need that much makeup," Katniss groans. "I'm already bored, come on!"

"So demanding," Effie sighs. "It's a good thing we love that girl."

Haymitch chuckles and helps her up, hugging her tightly. "You going to be okay today, Bug?" he asks softly, kissing her head just to smell her hair.

"I'll be fine. It's daylight, and we're going on a tour of the city," she whispers. "It'll be fun."

"Are we going to go to that concert tomorrow night?" he asks. "I'm just thinking, you might be tired after today and need a rest."

"I think we should, but if you don't want to, we won't," she says. "Come on, the kids are bored of waiting for us."

He sighs and lets her tug him toward the door. "It's your birthday tomorrow, sweetheart, it should be your choice if we go or not," he says as she opens the door.

"How many more times, Haymitch? I don't want to celebrate my birthday," Effie groans.

"Is she still on that?" Peeta asks. "Effie, give it up, you're going to love your birthday."

Effie whines softly and says "Let's drop that subject and  _go_ already. I just want a nice day out with my family."

* * *

Out in the city streets, they're faced with a newly rebuilt and glowing city centre. "It's prettier than I remember it being," Effie says, clutching Haymitch. "Cleaner, too."

"It's been rebuilt, what did you expect?" Haymitch scoffs. "So what are we doing first?"

"What do you three want to do first?" Effie asks. "We have so  _many_ options. There's a cute little teashop we could go in for some food, there's some nice shops we could look around that sell crystals and herbs, there's some very nice clothes shops, and bookshops, or we could go on the tour bus around the city, or we can go to the arcade."

"Food," Katniss says. "I'm hungry."

"Best feed the girl," Haymitch says. "We'll have some sour Katniss on our hands if we don't feed her."

"Would it kill you to be nice?" Peeta asks, giving Haymitch an annoyed glare.

"Probably not, but why chance it?" Haymitch replies. "I've got a pretty good life going now, and I don't want to die before I can give Effie a special kind of birthday gift."

"Oh, gross," Katniss groans.

"I meant an actual gift, something she can unwrap," Haymitch says, glaring at Katniss. "You've got a dirty mind, girl."

Effie makes a squeaky sound of discontent. "Can you three  _please_ play nicely? Your bickering, annoyance, and tension is making a very bad headache for me," she grumbles. "It's supposed to be a nice day out. No more bickering or passive aggressive actions, or I'll drag us all back to the hotel, in separate rooms. You have been warned."

"Yes, Mom," the three of them chorus, each with exactly the same bored tone.

She stomps off toward the nearest teashop, clearly vexed, but Haymitch just chuckles. "Is it just me, or does she look like a toddling munchkin when she's angry?" he asks.

"I heard that!" Effie snaps.

"You were meant to," Haymitch chuckles. "Now come back, I want to see that little pouty face."

She turns and gives him a glare that would probably intimidate him, if it weren't for the pout making her cheeks puff out a little and the arms folded so tightly that she just looks like an annoyed toddler. "You're annoying," she grumbles. 

"And you're just making me terrified of what our future kids will look like angry," he says, approaching her. As soon as he's close enough, he takes his phone out and takes a picture of her. He studies it, then laughs. "That's cute. I'm going to put that up online, and you're getting tagged in it."

She stands on her toes and peeks over his shoulder. Upon seeing just how tiny and chubby-cheeked she looks, she gasps in horror. "Delete that monstrosity!" she squeaks.

"Let's see," Katniss chuckles, eager to see what's causing Effie to squeak. Haymitch shows her, and she bursts out laughing. "Aww! Effie, you're so cute! Haymitch, you need to publish that online, look at that little pout!"

"Are you just being mean to aggravate me? I'm trying to be nice!" Effie whines.

Haymitch hands the phone to Katniss, then says "Show the boy," before gently pinching Effie's cheek. "We're not being mean, Bug. It's not your fault that you're a cute Bug when you're angry with us. That little face is going to be exactly what we have to deal with when we have kids. They're going to look just like that when they get mad."

"Don't make me feel bad for kids we haven't even made yet," she grumbles. 

"Yet?!" a woman with a distinct Capitol accent gasps. "Euphemia!"

Effie slowly turns around to the speaker, and sees a woman gaping at her, and a man approaching, carrying a lot of shopping bags. "Mother," she whispers. "Father."

"Euphemia," the man gasps breathlessly, placing the bags on the ground. "Well, don't you look-"

"Appalling," the woman finishes, staring in horror at Effie. "Dear, are you sick? Where is your wig? Your makeup? And  _why_ are you wearing such a plain dress?"

"I'm here on vacation, Mother," Effie says. "I don't see why I should wear a wig, some makeup, and a designer dress while I'm on vacation. I'm supposed to be relaxing."

"Isn't it your birthday tomorrow, Euphemia?" her father asks. "Is this your gift? A trip to the city?"

"I'm sure," her mother cuts in. "These peasants our poor girl is still hanging around with probably had to scrape together every penny they could to pay for this."

"Hey, I don't know who you think you are, but we're not-" Katniss starts, and Peeta clamps a hand over her mouth. "Met moh oh me!"

"We're going to get her some food," Peeta says hastily. "Effie, have fun. Haymitch, don't kill anyone."

Peeta drags Katniss into the teashop, and Effie says "Mother, they're not peasants, it's quite rude to say that they are. As it stands, the trip  _is_ a gift, but only one of them. Haymitch and the children are far from bankrupt, and I did try to insist that they didn't get me anything."

"You're having a celebration, end of," Haymitch says, hugging her close, mostly just to wind her mother up. "Your birthday is party-worthy."

"No, it isn't," Effie grumbles, then kisses him gently. "You'll get to throw parties for our future children's birthdays."

"Future children?!" her parents bellow, her father dropping the bags.

"Yes," Effie replies.

"You'd  _better_ be married before you get pregnant, Euphemia. And preferably to a nice,  _Capitol_ man," her mother sighs.

Effie grins and snuggles up to Haymitch. "Well, I'm engaged," she says, flashing her ring. "To  _Haymitch_. District Twelve, born and raised, just how our babies will be."

Haymitch grins smugly, cuddling Effie tighter. "Well, congratulatons," her father says, studying them. "Nothing's better than seeing my girl happy."

"Nonsense," her mother says. "She'd be much happier with a nice gentleman, wouldn't you?"

"Not really," Effie says. "I like Haymitch much more. He's not a gentleman, he's a  _manly_ man."

Haymitch laughs, then squeezes her gently. "You're a buggish Bug," he says, kissing her temple. "So, what do I call your parents?"

"Mr and Mrs Trinket," her mother says. "The proper titles. And Euphemia, really, don't you think your children deserve to be purely Capitol instead of half-breeds?"

"No, actually," Effie says. "They'll still be adorable little humans. I'm quite proud to say that my future babies will have a strong, upstanding, reliable father, and that they'll be raised in a loving home. I think our methods will work, don't you, Haymitch?"

"I reckon they will," Haymitch says. "A mom like you, Eff, no kid could be anything but amazing."

"I'm glad you think so," she replies. "Mother, Father, I hope you like this man. He's going to be your son in law."

Effie's father smiles, in direct contrast with his wife's wince. "Does he treat you well?" Mr Trinket asks.

"Better than any man I've ever dated," Effie replies.

"He's not pressuring you to marry him, is he?" Mr Trinket asks, giving Haymitch a glance.

Effie smiles. "No, he waited for my answer patiently," she replies. "Very much unlike my previous relationships."

Mrs Trinket asks "Didn't he pressure with babies? I could have sworn that all you wanted was to get married and have a cat. You never wanted children."

"Well, I didn't," Effie says. "I was dead against it at first, but then Katniss told me about her baby."

Haymitch gently rubs Effie's hips, then says "She agreed to try after the wedding."

Effie nods. "But why?" Mr Trinket asks. "If you're so against having a baby, why would you agree?"

"Because I just want a little human," Effie replies. "They're all cute and chubby, and babysitting just doesn't cut it any more."

"She doesn't want to miss out on an experience a lot of women have," Haymitch says. "She needs a little someone to fuss over, I'm not as cooperative as a baby would be."

"Are you two ever coming in?" Peeta calls. "Katniss is waiting to order because of you."

"We'll come in, just a minute!" Effie calls back, then smiles apologetically at her parents. "I'll call you later. Katniss is getting agitated, and the last thing we need is an emergency run to the hospital."

"How far along is she? Six months or so?" her mother asks.

"Seven months, three weeks," Effie replies. "It could be any time now."

"Oh. Well, we'd better let you get inside so that she can eat," her mother says. "After being pregnant with you, I know how terrible hunger can be."

Haymitch says "Okay, bye. Effie, come on."

Effie hugs both of her parents, then says "I'll call you soon."

"Have fun, Euphemia," her father says, kissing his daughter's forehead gently.

"I fully expect a call now that I've been promised one," her mother warns, but she kisses Effie's cheeks gently.

Haymitch finally tugs Effie into the teashop, and sits with Peeta and Katniss. "The thing with Capitol people, they can talk for years," Haymitch sighs. "Eff, do you want a soda or a hot drink?"

"A soda, please," she sighs, snuggling close to him. "And maybe a cookie. Being around Mother always makes me need a cookie."

Katniss looks at Peeta, who says "Tell me what you want. I'm not having you walking around when you can sit down."

"A soda and a plate of fries," Katniss says. "I'm really hungry. And maybe some cake too, if they have the strawberry one."

Peeta nods, and gets up. "Haymitch, you coming?" he asks.

"Sure," Haymitch says. "Eff, do you want more than just a cookie and a soda?"

"Not unless there's ice cream," she replies, smiling. "I'm just desperate for sugar."

Haymitch nods and kisses her gently. "Okay," he says.

He and Peeta leave the women sat at the table, and Katniss groans softly. "Are you okay?" Effie asks nervously. 

"I'm fine, she's just vicious with her feet," Katniss says. "She also seems to have a gas problem, because I keep getting heartburn."

"I brought something for that, and I checked that they're safe to use during pregnancy," Effie says. "I know that heartburn's common, especially in the third trimester."

She passes the bottle of medication to Katniss. "You're a miracle," Katniss sighs. "If you truly love yourself, don't get pregnant. Adopt a baby instead."

"Are you trying to discourage her?" Haymitch chuckles, bringing over a tray of ice cream, cookies, and soda. "Here, sweetheart, food."

Effie looks to Katniss and looks at the six cookies Haymitch has bought. She takes one and passes it to Katniss. "You eat that. I'm not having you faint," she says. "And your fries will be a while yet. Now eat."

"Do as she says," Haymitch chuckles. "She'll go all Mama Bear if you don't."

 Katniss takes the cookie and eats it, sighing in relief. "Thanks, Effie," she says appreciatively. 

Effie eats hers, and starts in on her ice cream as Peeta approaches with his and Katniss's table number. "Hey," he says. "Our food's going to take a while."

"Here," Effie says, handing him a cookie. "Eat it. I'll go Mama Bear if you don't."

"Thanks, Effie," Peeta chuckles. 

Effie pushes the rest of the cookies toward Haymitch. "They're yours now," she says.

"Effie, there's enough for two each," he chuckles.

"I'm eating ice cream now. I'll get chubby if I eat too much, unlike you," she tells him. "You're lucky enough to never gain weight."

Haymitch eats two cookies, then hands the third back to her. "I want you to eat that," he says. "When you're through with the ice cream."

She sighs, but gives him a butterfly kiss on the cheek, finishes her ice cream, and eats the cookie. She then sighs and drinks her soda, smiling slightly. "I'm going to have to work out when I get home," she sighs, poking her stomach. "I've just undone two long months of dieting."

"As long as you eat properly, I don't care," Haymitch says, giving her a hug.

The rest of the food is brought over, and the waitress asks "Whose is the bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich?"

"That would be mine," Peeta says, standing to help the woman out. He places his sandwich on his placemat carefully, then straightens up to help some more.

"The grilled cheese?" the waitress asks.

"That's hers," Haymitch says, pointing at Effie. Peeta takes it and places it in front of Effie.

"The fries?" the woman asks.

"That's mine," Katniss says, and Peeta takes the plate, handing it to Katniss.

"So that means that the sausage, bacon, and fries is yours," the waitress says, placing the plate in front of Haymitch. "Would you like refills on your drinks?"

"Yes, please," Effie says softly.

Haymitch nods and says "That'd be nice, thanks."

The waitress takes the glasses away, and Effie looks at Haymitch. "You know my favourite sandwich," she whispers. "How?"

"Shot in the dark," he says. "I just figured you'd like grilled cheese, given the other foods you tend to favour when you think nobody's looking."

Effie goes scarlet, and Katniss asks "What else does she like?"

"Secret," Effie says. "Comfort food. Nothing I want to talk about."

"Haymitch?" Katniss asks.

"She's not a cannibal," Haymitch chuckles. "She doesn't want you knowing, so I'm not saying. I've made that mistake before."

"Aww," Effie coos, bumping her head against his shoulder as she eats her sandwich. "You're so sweet."

"Effie! Is that  _you_?!" a loud, Capitol man's voice bellows, disrupting the quiet atmosphere of the teashop.

"By golly, it is!" a Capitol woman's voice squeals. 

The speakers rush over to their table, and Haymitch, Peeta, and Katniss all choke on their food at the sight of the two people before them. "Vender. Pudina," Effie says cheerfully, smiling sweetly. "How nice to see you."

The two are wearing matching pink and yellow striped overalls with blue polka dots, Vender with a red crop top on underneath, and Pudina in green. "What the hell are you wearing today?" Haymitch splutters. 

"And what happened to your faces? Did you get mugged by crayons or something?" Katniss asks, horrified.

"Now, children," Effie sighs. "How's the wedding planning coming along, you two?"

"Oh, it's  _splendid_!" Vender chuckles. "You should  _see_ how flattering Pudding's dress is."

"If it looks anything like what you're wearing now, we'll pass," Haymitch mutters.

Effie elbows him gently, then says "I can very well imagine it, dear. When do you plan to have the wedding? And where?"

"Well, we were thinking that we should have it sometime in October," Pudina says, beaming. "And we were thinking, considering that you're probably going to be quite heavily pregnant by then, we might just have it in District Twelve. I would guess that you're already around three months along, yes?"

"No," Effie says, her eyes wide and her face ashen. "I'm not pregnant yet. By October, I might still be trying."

"Oh," Pudina squeaks, clearly uneasy.

"She was just going by all the food," Vender says uncomfortably. "You're still wonderfully slim, dear."

"More than either of you can say, that's for sure," Haymitch says.

Effie makes a strange noise, then says "Well, you two, I am very excited for your wedding."

"So are we!" Pudina giggles. "Oh, Effie, we do have something rather large to ask of you."

"Oh, joy," Haymitch mutters. 

Effie snuggles up to him and swallows hard before asking "What is it?"

 _It can't be that bad_ , Effie thinks to herself. "Well, we were hoping you would like to be godmother to our little truffle!" Pudina squeals.  _Oh, how wrong I was_ , Effie groans internally. "We just got confirmation that I'm in the second trimester, so we supposed now would be the best time to ask you."

Haymitch looks at Effie in bewilderment, and hisses into her ear "You're not going to do it, are you?"

Effie's shocked silent. "Are you okay, dear?" Vender asks softly. "I know it's a bit of a surprise, we were going to wait until after the wedding."

"She's probably in shock," Peeta says. "She hasn't been asked this before."

"Are you sure it's wise?" Effie croaks. "I mean, I'm always in Twelve, you live here in the city, the baby won't really see much of us all."

"Well, that's the thing. We're planning to move to Twelve after the wedding," Vender says. "Lots of fresh air and open space for the baby to run around in."

Pudina adds "And there's the fact that District Twelve has such good morals and everyone looks out for everyone. It's ideal."

Katniss mutters "You two are beacons, so there's no need to look out for you."

"Katniss!" Effie hisses. "Well, if you two are moving to District Twelve, I would be happy to be your child's godmother."

Haymitch makes a whiny groaning sound, then hugs Effie tightly, hissing "Why'd you have to say yes?!"

Effie watches Vender and Pudina share a hurt look, and says "Ignore him, he's a bit strange about people he hardly knows. Congratulations, both of you."

Pudina smiles a little and says "It was lovely seeing you. We must dash, things to buy for the wedding."

"Of course," Effie says sweetly. "It was lovely seeing you, too. We'll have to get together again at some point."

"Yes, of course," Vender says, beaming at her. "Toodle-ooh!"

The two of them rush out, and as soon as the door closes, Effie whines "Why am I such an idiot? Can we please move to Four now?"

Haymitch says "I told you not to say yes."

"You're a terrible fiance for giving me an _I told you so_ instead of saying no for me. The one time I need you to be rude, and you bail out!" she wails. "Don't you know how creeped out those two make me feel?"

"I have an inkling," Haymitch deadpans. "Eat up, you want to get that tour bus."

Effie sighs, and nods. "I really do, I need to forget that image," she whimpers.

The rest of the meal is passed in silence, each of them trying their best to forget the encounter with Vender and Pudina.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There we go, a return from Vender and Pudina, and we met Effie's parents. Hope you enjoyed it.
> 
> As always, if you have any requests for the outtakes series, newly titled "Always A Team - Outtakes", any theories on this story, any constructive criticism, or any questions you'd like answered, please post them in a comment below.
> 
> How has your week been? If you want a chat, comment below, or DM me on Twitter (@BlackCatS46). My messages are open to everyone now that I've figured out how to work it.
> 
> Much love and happiness to you all. Until next time. Cat xxx


	7. Tour of the Capitol

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In order to repress the events of the past few days, Haymitch, Effie, Peeta, and Katniss decide to take a tour bus around the Capitol.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone. Here's part two of the day out in the city. 
> 
> Now that I've said that, disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games, its characters, or its world. All rights go to Suzanne Collins, and I am not Suzanne. I just like playing around with her characters.

The four of them walk out of the teashop after a filling dinner, and despite being a little green from all she's eaten, Effie asks "What now? Shopping? Tour bus? Or the other way around? Or shall we just walk around until we get hungry again?"

"Sweetheart, you need to sit down," Haymitch says softly. "You're greener than Shrek right now."

"Mean. I regret finding that movie and letting you watch it," Effie huffs, but she leans on him anyway with a small squeak of contentment. "I  _do_ feel a little sick, but it's just because I've eaten more than I'm used to. I think we should find our next activity. What shall we do?"

"How about getting on a bus?" Katniss asks. "My back's hurting, and I  _really_ don't want to walk."

Peeta gently rubs his wife's back, then looks to the older couple. "Well, what do you two want to do?" he asks.

"Tour bus sounds okay," Haymitch says, then gently squeezes Effie's hand. "What do you say, sweetheart?"

"I like it," Effie says. "Lots and lots of cuddling can be done there."

Haymitch chuckles, then rubs her back. "Fine with me," he says. "Lead the way, sweetheart, you know these streets better than us three do."

Effie makes a face, then grabs his hand. She leads them to a sign that reads  _Tour Bus_ , and has a notice underneath saying what times it arrives. "We have ten minutes to wait," she says quietly, almost  _too_ quietly.

Both of the younger adults look at her in confusion. "What was that?" Katniss asks.

"She said we have ten minutes before the bus comes," Haymitch says, petting Effie gently. "It's just because she's gone all quiet on us."

Effie digs around in her handbag and finds a packet of mint candies. "Who wants candy?" she asks softly, holding the packet up.

"No, thanks," Peeta says. "A bit off peppermints."

"Same," Katniss sighs. "I've been having that stuff daily for the last two months."

Effie looks a little put out, but offers the candies to Haymitch. "What about you, squish?" she asks quietly.

Haymitch sighs and kisses her gently. "Sure, sweetheart," he says, and she lights up. She offers him the packet, and smiles as he takes one. He puts it in his mouth, then hugs her close. "Thanks, Bug."

She coos happily, then pops a candy in her mouth. "I love our snuggles," she murmurs, wrapping her arms around him and nuzzling at his neck.

"How did you two go from never displaying affection to this?" Katniss asks. "I remember when you two wouldn't so much as look at each other in public."

"It wasn't safe," Haymitch says. "Besides, even though she won't admit it, she's cold. By Capitol standards for summer, it's cold, and I'm pretty sure she's part lizard."

"You always used to say that I have cold blood," Effie giggles softly. "Remember during Annie's Tour? You gave me your hoodie for the ceremony in Twelve, and you even brought another coat for me when we were at her Victory Ball."

"You two were together then?!" Katniss gasps.

"Nope," Haymitch chuckles. "I just didn't want her to freeze to death in her crazy clothes."

"I thought you knew about when we got together," Effie whispers. "The year before you two were... Well, the Seventy Third Games."

She buries her nose on Haymitch's chest. "How cold  _are_ you?" Haymitch chuckles. "It's not that cold out here."

"Part lizard, remember?" Effie murmurs. "Snuggle me."

Haymitch laughs and pulls her arms from around him, wedging them between their bodies and cuddling her tightly, wrapping her more tightly in his embrace. They stand like that until the bus comes, then he says "Bug, you need to move."

She nods and helps Katniss onto the bus, then helps Peeta up. Haymitch picks her up and carries her on board. The driver asks "You four together?"

"Yes," Effie says, smiling as she fishes out her money from her bag. "Here we go."

She pays for four tickets for a ride, and says "Keep the change," then tugs Haymitch closer to her. "Come on, we can go up to the top and sit up there. We get wonderful views there."

The four of them walk up to the top deck of the bus, where Katniss and Peeta sit at the front, and Haymitch and Effie sit right behind them, so as to keep an eye on them. Effie snuggles up to Haymitch and kisses his jaw gently. "You still cold?" he asks, kissing her nose.

"Yes," she whispers. "Very. You're all snuggly and warm, like a fire in winter."

He chuckles and pets her. "Human fire. I'm glad I'm useful to you, little stuff," he says, then lowers his hand from her head to rest it on her stomach. "Still feeling nauseous?"

"Not as much as I will when this thing starts moving," she whispers. "I have horrible motion sickness nowadays."

"Why did you suggest this ride if you knew you'd feel sick?" he asks, kissing her nose.

"I like it," she says. "This was what my parents used to let me do on my birthday when I was little. I just wanted to share the experience with my new family, too."

Haymitch smiles slightly, and he'd deny on pain of death that her saying that he's family to her made him feel all gooey and loved. "Haymitch, I can  _feel_ your goo vibes and this ride hasn't even started yet," Katniss grumbles. "Effie, you  _need_ to stop making him mushy."

"I happen to like it when he gets mushy," Effie mutters. "It means more kissing than usual."

"And there's another image for my nightmare hall of fame," Peeta groans. "Right up there with a completely naked Haymitch."

"Don't act like you haven't seen a d-" Haymitch starts, but is quickly cut off by Effie's pointy little elbow and furious glare. "Fine, you and I have the same equipment, mine just gets more of a workout. Don't act like you've never seen that stuff before."

"Eww," Katniss whines. "We both saw way too much Haymitch this morning. I never want to see that much of you again. In fact, I'd be okay with you dressing like a priest if it meant you kept your bits covered up."

"You can't deny that he's attractive, though," Effie pipes up. "I don't think he should be dressing like a priest."

Haymitch smirks at her, squeezing her to him. "Trust me, Bug, I won't."

The bus starts up and Katniss groans softly. "What's up?" Peeta, Haymitch, and Effie ask in fearful unison.

"Calm down, she just kicked me in the lung," Katniss breathes, rubbing her stomach. "I'm going to give birth to a future showgirl, kicks like that."

"No grandchild of mine is being a showgirl," Haymitch growls. "Not enough clothes."

Effie smiles and says "Agreed. Not enough clothes, and too many boys."

There's silence, aside from the chatter of the other passengers, then Peeta thoughtfully asks "If you two have a son, and he falls in love with our girl, would you consider it incest, or would you be okay with it?"

Effie turns greener than ever. "Don't try to set my uncreated potential son up before he's even been made, please. I want him to be a baby before he's an adult, thank you," she says, looking like she's about to be sick.

"Is that from the motion of the bus or the idea of our potential baby boy finding a girlfriend?" Haymitch asks.

"A little of both," Effie murmurs. "No baby of mine is getting into romance or having its little heart broken. I knew these two would be happy together, but I'm not giving birth to a human just to get its little baby heart broken."

Haymitch hugs her. "Sweetheart, heartbreak is natural. It's a learning curve," he tells her gently. "We've all had them, we'll all have more. It's not the end of the world."

"It's a natural learning curve my children are  _not_ having," she huffs. "I've had my heart broken, and it sucks, and I  _won't_ let it happen to my babies."

"Children?" Haymitch asks hopefully, then shakes his head. "Sweetheart, let's focus on actually trying to have a baby before we worry about its future."

Effie nods, then groans, clutching her stomach. "No... No, I do  _not_ feel very well. Does this thing  _have_ to bounce and sway like this?" she whimpers. "I'm going to..."

She leans over the side of the bus and heaves once before she loses her lunch all down the side of the bus. Haymitch chuckles and gently rubs her back. "Okay, sweetheart, get it up," he says soothingly, grinning at her back. "That's it... Good girl. Better it comes up now than where people have to walk in it."

As soon as she's done, she leans back in her seat and gets a wipe from her bag. "That was horrible," she moans sadly. "No more. I can't do more."

"Unfortunately, dear, that's just the beginning," an elderly woman with a strange accent chuckles. "My granddaughter has just entered her fifth week, and she's just like you are, she can't keep anything down."

Effie stares blankly at her, piecing together what she's saying very slowly, then closes her eyes. "Oh, heavens..." she whispers. "Haymitch, can we stay home tomorrow?"

"What's up?" he asks worriedly. "You're not sick, are you?"

"No, but if I get one more person just  _assuming_ that I'm pregnant, I am going on a diet until I truly am," she mutters. "This whole thing is knocking me every which way, but not one of those ways is toward confidence."

Peeta, having heard everything, turns to the woman and says "I'm sorry for your granddaughter, my wife was the same way, it's not pleasant. But the lady behind me isn't actually expecting, she has motion sickness, and she had a large lunch."

The woman blushes a little and nods. "My apologies," she says. "I just... From the way they're acting... It seemed..."

"I know, we made that mistake too," Peeta says. "It's fine, just thought I'd set the record straight, for the sake of her confidence."

The woman nods, then looks to Effie. "I truly am sorry, dear. I know what you must be thinking, but I promise you, you don't look like you're expecting. It was just the sickness and the way the two of you are cuddled up," she says earnestly.

"I understand," Effie says softly, smiling slightly. "It's okay. Thank you. I know what we must look like. It was an honest mistake."

The woman nods, smiling a little at her. "Honestly, I don't think you'll worry so much after you actually have a baby," she says. "It's just the idea that scares you now. A lovely figure like yours, it's completely understandable to fear it being ruined."

"I'd happily ruin it," Effie says, letting out a breathy laugh. "It's just the idea of having a little person to carry around."

The woman chuckles. "You'll do just fine, dear. Your chat before the sickness proved that," she says. "You'll be an excellent mother."

Effie beams proudly. "Well, thank you very much," she says, genuinely touched. "That's very kind of you."

Haymitch whispers into her ear "Well, look at you, sweetheart. You actually accepted an apology and didn't bite anyone's head off."

"I'm maturing," she giggles. "I'm nearly middle-aged."

"Shut up, no, you're not," Haymitch laughs. "You're not even in your thirties yet."

"Cradle robber," Katniss mutters.

"She was legal when we got together, and I'd only viewed her as a woman that same year. Before that, she was just a kid," Haymitch says.

"I was nearly twenty five when we got together," Effie sighs wistfully. "And now look. We didn't think we'd ever have this chance."

They sit back and think for a while, taking in the sights around the city. Effie, however, has to sit with her head back and her eyes closed, breathing deeply and slowly. "You feeling okay?" Haymitch asks softly. 

"Fine," Effie lies, clearly not fine.

"I was asking the girl," Haymitch says, leaning forward to a slightly breathless Katniss. "You okay?"

"No," Katniss mutters. "I need the toilet. Attend to your girlfriend in case she vomits again."

"It's okay, I don't need looking after," Effie murmurs. "We should worry about you, dear."

"I'm worried about both of you, for various reasons," Haymitch says. "Effie, try to get the vomit over the side of the bus."

"I will," Effie sighs. "Ugh... I want off this thing."

* * *

After the ride around the city, the four of them step off the bus and onto the streets of the city. "That was eventful," Haymitch remarks, petting Effie.

She gets a stick of gum out, and pops it into her mouth. "I won't be doing that again," she sighs sadly. "I refuse to vomit in more places."

"We should go shopping," Peeta says. "Effie looks like she needs retail therapy, and we need to get some baby formula in case breastfeeding doesn't work out."

Effie winces, then asks "I know that women in Twelve didn't get the option before the war, but after the war, do they choose to stick to the natural methods or do they use formula?"

"Most tend to stick to the ways they know how," Katniss says. "Everyone who grew up in the Seam, and nearly everyone who grew up in the town know more about breastfeeding, but some had special permission to use formula, seeing as their babies had something they call a tongue tie, which meant they couldn't nurse properly, and some moms just couldn't make enough milk. It was kind of bad that everyone knew."

"Are you going to stick to natural methods?" Effie asks, aiming for curious and getting  _terrified_.

"We'll try," Katniss says. "But I make no promises. We know what could potentially happen."

"Do people get judged for using formula if the baby can breastfeed?" Effie asks.

"No," Peeta says. "Now that we have access to formula in Twelve, it's becoming more of a thing."

"Okay," Effie sighs. 

"How come you're so curious?" Haymitch asks. "It's nobody else's business. It's what works best for you and the kid."

Effie nods, then leans on him. "I need people who've done their research," she says. "It makes my life easier, and helps me sleep at night knowing that one thing I needed to do has been done."

She takes his hand and starts walking, happily clutching his hand. After a few minutes, Katniss asks "So you're planning to formula feed, then?"

"No," Effie replies. "I want the baby to have a traditional Twelve lifestyle, but obviously with less fear and more food."

" _You_ want to..." Haymitch starts, shocked, but quickly backpedals at Effie's angry glare. "Sorry, Bug, but it's still weird to think of a little princess like you wanting to adapt to our lifestyle."

Her angry expression morphs into a bitter smile. "Of course," she whispers. "It'll take some getting used to, but I want the whole experience with our future babies. I just want him or her to have the best possible life, with the same things all of Twelve's children have had, the same upbringing as you had, so that he or she will have the same standards. The only things that'll be changed is the quantity of food and the levels of fear."

Before Haymitch can even attempt to hug her, Peeta does. "That's brilliant, Effie," he says, crushing her a little. "You've got a great plan for your kids. If how you treat Kat and me is anything to go by, your future kids have an incredible mom already."

"Thank you, darling," Effie says, hugging him back. "I'm proud of the adults you and Katniss have become, and the wonderful parents you already are to your sweet little girl."

"She's not so sweet when we're sleeping," Katniss says. "She keeps us both awake."

"You must be eager to pop that kid out," Haymitch says. 

"You have no idea," Katniss mutters. "I'm not having any more. She's going to have to be enough for him."

Effie smiles, hearing her, and says "You'll forget this when you see her. She'll be adorable enough to convince you to have more of her."

"Nope," Katniss scoffs. "Nothing's that cute."

Effie and Peeta share a look, then Peeta says "Let's go have a look around the shops."

* * *

Three hours and fifty bags later, the four of them arrive back at the hotel. "Ooh!" Effie sighs, flopping on the sofa. "That was exhausting! I'm not going to have to shop again for another year!"

The other three stop dead in the middle of sorting through the bags and stare at her. "Did she just say that she doesn't need to shop for a year?" Katniss asks.

"Who are you, and what have you done with my Effie?" Haymitch asks, gaping.

"I bought durable clothing," Effie says. "I'm tired, and far too old to be doing all that shopping now. No more self-serving shopping for another year for me."

There's silence for a few minutes, and Haymitch walks over to her and places his hand on her forehead. "You don't have a fever," he says slowly.

"Oh come on!" Effie whines. "It's not unusual for me to not want to shop, you know! I do have other interests!"

"If she goes off sex, we're going to have to call a doctor," Katniss mutters, causing Peeta to stifle a chuckle.

"I hate you all," Effie mutters, kicking off her shoes and curling up. "I'm also going to need hot chocolate after that."

Haymitch leans down and gently kisses her. "We're teasing you, sweetheart. You used to be better at handling it. I'll go make you a hot chocolate, and you can just sit there and be cute, okay?" he whispers, petting her.

"I'm not actually angry, honey, I was just whining for the fun of it. I'll make the hot chocolate soon. We've got more important worries, like our girl," she murmurs back, softly enough that nobody other than Haymitch can hear her. "Something isn't sitting right with me, I'm scared that our new addition will decide to make an appearance soon, and she's not quite full term yet."

"You're just a worrier," Haymitch says. "Relax a bit."

He helps the younger couple sort out the bags, then goes to make hot chocolate. Peeta goes to help him while Katniss sits with Effie on the sofa. Katniss sits and watches the older woman chew on her thumbnail and asks "Something on your mind?"

"It's nothing to concern yourself with, dear," Effie says, smiling slightly at her. "Just me being silly."

"That's your worried face," Katniss remarks. "Come on, what is it? Is there something up?"

"No, darling. I promise you, if it was important, I'd tell you," Effie tells her, gently patting her hand. "It's nothing. You needn't be concerned."

"Hmm," Katniss hums, completely unconvinced. Before she can prod further, Peeta and Haymitch come in holding mugs of hot chocolate. "Oh, this looks promising."

Peeta hands Katniss a mug, and Haymitch hands Effie hers. "What's been going on in here?" Peeta asks.

"Effie's worried about something and won't talk about it," Katniss reports.

"It's nothing important," Effie says. "I told you, I'm being silly."

Neither of the young adults look convinced, but Haymitch sits beside Effie and sighs in relief, then says "If she says it's nothing to worry about, it's nothing to worry about. Don't worry so much. She does enough of it for all four of us."

Effie nods. "Listen to him," she says. "He knows."

The two younger adults share a look, but drop it for the time being. After a while, they put on a movie and sit back to watch. Katniss falls asleep first, and Haymitch mutters "Effie, look, she's asleep."

"Aww," Effie coos. "She looks so sweet when she sleeps. No scowling."

Haymitch nods, then says "If I get a marker, she can have facial hair and glasses."

"No," Effie and Peeta say, giving him the same  _don't you dare_ look. 

"Come on, it'd be hilarious," Haymitch says, almost whining.

"Haymitch, this is  _not_ one of your drunken nights of debauchery, the poor girl trusts us. You are  _not_ drawing on her face with marker pen," Effie tells him firmly. "Wait until we have Johanna over. She'll see the funny side of it, and she isn't carrying a baby who will have to live with the toxic fumes."

"You're no fun," Haymitch protests.

Peeta picks Katniss up and says "I'll take her to our room, just to remove the temptation. Have fun."

He carries Katniss out of the room and Effie snuggles up to Haymitch. "If I fall asleep, I don't want to wake up with marker on my face," she says.

"You won't," Haymitch chuckles. "Your face is cute, and your skin's sensitive, so I'm  _not_ ruining your face. You can sleep without fear."

"Okay. I love you," she whispers, then presses a gentle peck on his lips. She shifts around a little so that she's slumped on his chest, and she's asleep within seconds, leaving Haymitch to watch the last of the movie. 

He ignores the screen after a few minutes, watching her smile in her sleep as he pets her hair. After a few hours, he scoops her up and carries her to their bedroom. He undresses her, then tucks her under the duvet before he undresses himself, watching her turn on her side, hug the pillow, and curl up. He chuckles quietly, putting his clothes aside, then gets into bed next to her, lying down on his side to face her, watching her happy little face. He smiles properly at her and murmurs "Goodnight, Bug. I love you," then presses a tender kiss on her smiling lips before he allows himself to fall asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's that. I hope you enjoyed this, and if you have any constructive criticism, thoughts on the future of this story, ideas for outtakes, questions you'd like answered, or anything you'd like to say about this chapter, drop me a comment below.
> 
> I hope you've all had a great week, and that this week treats you well. Much love and happiness to you all. Cat xxx


	8. Effie's Birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Effie still just does _not_ want to celebrate her birthday, and her loved ones are determined to make her feel special.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! I hope you're prepared for this one. This is a long one, and full of everything from angst to fluff to excitement to absolute shock. It's literally a monster chapter.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games, its world, or its characters. All rights go to Suzanne Collins, and I am not Suzanne. I just like playing around with her characters.

The sun has barely risen when Haymitch wakes up. The first thing he registers is that he's had a dreamless sleep, and the second is that Effie isn't in bed with him. "Effie?" he calls, suddenly very alert. "Effie?!"

No response. The hotel room is silent. He gets up and walks out of the bedroom, searching the kitchen and living room, finding no trace of Effie. He walks to the bathroom and finds the door locked. He knocks and Effie sleepily murmurs "Just a minute, babe."

He sighs in relief, grateful that she hasn't been stolen from him. "You okay, Bug?" he asks.

"Yes," she says, but there's something off in her tone, almost like she's been crying. "I'm fine."

"You don't sound fine. What's up?" he asks, far too alert.

"Nothing," she says, then the toilet flushes. Haymitch hears the tap running, then the sound of a towel rustling. Seconds later, Effie opens the door, her eyes red and puffy with dark circles under them. "Can we go back to bed?"

"Sure," he says, then hugs her. "Bug, are you okay?"

"Yes, darling, I'm just very tired," she yawns, stretching. "I want the bed."

He picks her up and carefully carries her back to bed, too worried about her to be tired. He lies her back in their bed, then murmurs "Guess what?"

"What?" she asks, tugging him down next to her.

"It's your birthday," he whispers, kissing her lips. "You're a birthday Bug."

"Urgh," she groans. "I love the kissing, but can we not talk about this? Kisses or upsetting me, that's the choice, and kissing is the nicer of the two for both of us."

Haymitch rolls his eyes. "Bug, you used to love celebrating your birthday," he says.

"I also used to go on three day shopping binges, and I never once dreamed of lying in a hotel bed with you and cuddling," she points out. "Things change. I'm not willing to celebrate my aging. I'm fine with being kissed, though."

He smirks and kisses her gently. "I'm good with kissing you," he murmurs, hugging her close to him. "Hey, how come you were crying earlier?"

"I wasn't," she whispers, snuggling up to him. "My eyes are red because I'm tired."

He nods, then kisses her gently. "Okay, sweetheart. You get some more sleep, our enthusiastic kids will be in here soon," he says. "You're going to want your energy."

"Ugh," she whines, burying her nose on his neck. "Love me?"

"Always," he says, cuddling her close. 

* * *

"Wake up!" Katniss bellows. "We bring food!"

"Happy birthday, Effie!" Peeta calls loudly. "We've got breakfast for four here!"

Effie whines sleepily and asks "Since I'm naked, should I go scare them off?"

"No," Haymitch mumbles sleepily. "Only I get to see you naked."

"But they're energetic and I'm...  _Not_ ," Effie grumbles quietly. "I just want to not be awake."

Once again, her plan to sleep is destroyed by the two younger adults parading into the bedroom with food and both of them approaching the bed. "Happy birthday, Effie!" they shout happily in an attempt to wake her up.

"If you two don't quit yelling and promise me coffee, I will sit up," she growls.

"What kind of threat is that?" Haymitch mumbles.

"They don't like seeing me naked," Effie hisses. "If I was threatening you, I'd threaten to put clothes on."

There are audible winces from Katniss and Peeta. "We did bring coffee," Peeta says. "We know not to wake you without it."

"That's wise," Haymitch mumbles. "Now keep it down, I'm sleeping."

"Oh  _no_ , you're  _not_!" Effie snaps. "If  _I_ am awake, so are you!"

She clutches the sheets to her chest as she sits up, much to the younger adults' relief. "Here, we also brought you this," Katniss says, handing over a little box. 

"You didn't have to do that," Effie says, blushing. 

"Well, we did," Katniss says. "Skip the whole thing and just open the present."

There's a loud snore from Haymitch and Effie rolls her eyes. She opens the little box to reveal a necklace with an amethyst in the shape of a butterfly on it. "Oh, it's  _beautiful_ ," she breathes. "Thank you, my darlings!"

"We're just glad you like it," Peeta says. 

Haymitch snores again, and Effie pokes his upper arm just to be batted off, so she says "I think I should at least put my bra back on."

As if in a state of panic in his dream, Haymitch wakes up and grabs Effie, yanking her down next to him, diving under the covers, and pressing his face against her chest, then he mutters "No wearing a bra. Your skin's nice."

"Really? I could tell you that this place is on fire, and you wouldn't care, but the minute I suggest a bra, you... Oh!" she gasps. "You do that."

Thanking whatever deity is watching over them that they can't see what she means, Katniss and Peeta make up coffee for their former escort. "So, are you two going to the concert tonight?" Peeta asks.

"Yeah," Haymitch says, his voice suspiciously muffled.

"No," Effie replies at exactly the same time. "What?"

"We have the tickets," Haymitch reminds her. "You wanted to go."

"Oh," Effie murmurs. "Well... We'll see how today goes."

The four of them have breakfast together, laughing and joking around, and eventually, Haymitch says "You two scoot to the living room so that the birthday Bug and I can get dressed."

The two younger adults don't move immediately, and Haymitch lifts up his side of the duvet, making to get up, and both Peeta and Katniss yelp and bolt for the door yelling "We're gone, we're gone!"

Effie flops onto her back and whines "I hate eating before noon... Do I have to get up?"

"Yeah, you do," Haymitch says, then pats her stomach. "Now move before I move you."

"I hate you," she whines. "I want to sleep."

"You can nap in the car on the way out," Haymitch says. "In the meantime, have another coffee. And, as much as it kills me to say it, put some clothes on. I don't want the whole city seeing you naked."

"You and me both," she mutters, but drags herself up. She grabs plain, large granny pants and a massive, plain bra, then a long, deep purple dress. "This. I'm not in the mood to be a blob of sunlight today."

"What bit you?" he asks, wrapping his arms around her. "You're acting sour."

"I'm just a bit sore," she murmurs. "I have a headache. I think it's just exhaustion. Are you using the bathroom first? If you are, I'll have another coffee to wake myself up."

"Sure," he says, then kisses her head. "If you still feel a bit unwell when we come back later, you can have a real nap before the concert."

Effie makes a face at the idea of the concert, but nods. "I think a nap will fix me up," she says, then yawns. "You go use the bathroom."

She sits back on the bed and wraps herself up in the sheets, snuggling under them. She lies down, curling into a ball, and closes her eyes. She doesn't even realise that she's fallen asleep until she feels Haymitch's stubble against her neck. She winds her arms around him and he murmurs "Hey, sleeping beauty. Couldn't keep your eyes open?"

"No," she whispers. "I'm too tired to human today."

Haymitch lifts her up and carries her to the bathroom, then props her up in the shower. He turns the water on freezing and blasts her square in the face with it. She screams, suddenly a lot more alert, and he chuckles "Feeling more awake?"

"Put some warm water on!" she shrieks. "Why did you do that to me?!"

"You were falling asleep," he says, turning on the warm water and putting the shower head back. "Have a nice shower."

He leaves her alone and examines the dress she's picked. It's thick for summer wear, long sleeved, and covers everything. He smirks, then gets out a pair of tights for her. She emerges from the bathroom, clean and dry, and still yawning and sleepy. "I'm so  _tired_ ," she murmurs, grabbing her clothes and pulling them on. The size of the panties and bra doesn't go unnoticed by Haymitch. "And cold."

"Sweetheart, are you feeling okay?" he asks. "You're not sick, are you?"

"No, why would you think that?" she asks, tugging her tights up.

"You were sick yesterday, and you were up in the night, you've got a headache today, and you're exhausted. This all just looks like you're coming down with something," he says.

"I'm not," she tells him. "I was sick because of the motion of the bus yesterday, and I needed the toilet in the night, which meant I lost sleep, and the kids woke me too early, which gave me a headache, and that's because of exhaustion. I was tired after yesterday's outing. Trust me, babe, I'm not coming down with anything."

He nods, then sits down to watch her pulling her dress on, thinking hard. She sits down with him and snuggles against his side, her head lolling on his shoulder. He freezes, then asks "Bug, do you think you should take a pregnancy test?"

"No," she replies. "I took one last night while I was in there. They have a stock of them. It came out negative."

He deflates a little, then kisses her gently. "You're sure about that, yeah?" he asks, cuddling her.

"Well, as sure as I can be, yes," she says. "Unless I really misread it, or it decided against coming through properly until I'd thrown it away, yes."

He nods, then says "Take another one tonight or tomorrow morning. That way, we know for sure."

"I'll take one tonight," she replies, slurring a little. "After my nap."

"Uh, not yet," Haymitch chuckles, standing up and gently pulling her to her feet. "We're going  _out_."

He puts his shoes on, and Effie registers dimly that he's wearing a simple black t-shirt and faded blue jeans. She smiles, then stumbles over to him, hugging him. "Cuddle me," she requests, holding fast.

He has to drag her to the living room, and he slips her ballet flats onto her feet. "There," he says. 

Peeta watches as Effie carelessly slumps to the side and scrunches up, her eyes drifting closed. "Is she okay?" he asks.

"She was up in the night," Haymitch says. "So now, she's a sleepy and grumpy little thing."

He has to half-carry her and her bag down to the cab, where Katniss and Peeta have a hushed argument about who has to sit with Haymitch and Effie in the back seat. Their bickering wakes Effie, who sleepily mutters "Hey, we're not that bad. Besides, I'm asleep. No mush."

Haymitch chuckles and puts her in the middle seat, buckles her in, then gets in next to her, hugging her close. Katniss gets into the back seat on Effie's other side, and Peeta sits up front. Effie snuggles against Haymitch's side and sighs happily, falling back asleep almost instantly.  

* * *

Effie wakes just as the car rounds a sharp bend, and immediately gags. "Eff?" Haymitch asks, petting her.

"Stop the car," she gasps.

"Pull over," Haymitch says to the driver. 

The driver glances back and sees Effie gagging, then pulls over. Haymitch gets out of the car and Effie follows hastily. She runs to the nearest trash can and throws up violently. Haymitch walks over and rubs her back, holding her hair out of the way. Effie throws up until she can't even stand, then flops against Haymitch. "I really hate vehicles..." she murmurs. "Motion sickness  _sucks_."

"That it does," Haymitch says, petting her. "It's okay, sweetheart. We should get you some motion sickness pills."

"That would be nice. I'd like to ride in a car without wanting to throw up," she sighs. "Well, at least I'm not too tired to open my eyes now."

"That's a bonus," Haymitch chuckles.

 The two of them walk back to the car, and the instant they're both buckled in, Effie grabs her mints and hands one to Haymitch, pops one in her mouth, then asks "Anyone else up for a mint?"

"No, thanks," the driver says.

"No, thanks, Effie," Peeta replies.

"Uh, no, thanks," Katniss says warily.

Effie shrugs and puts the mints back in her bag. "We should really get some car sickness pills," she says. "I'm going to lose all the weight I just gained back at this rate."

Katniss says "I think you should start taking pregnancy tests, Effie. This isn't normal."

"It is," Effie says. "It's motion sickness. I get sick very easily. On my way to Twelve, I was sick four times."

"You did okay on the train here," Haymitch says. 

"I still felt queasy, I just kept it in," Effie says. "I wish I could do that now. Vehicles do not agree with me. Like mushrooms."

"You're allergic to mushrooms," he says.

"Exactly. And I'm clearly allergic to travel," she says.

* * *

After a long journey, and several more vomit stops, they get out of the car outside of the largest museum in the whole of Panem. "Oh, my!" Effie squeaks happily. "We're... Oh, not again!"

She rushes to the nearest trash can to be sick again. Katniss sidles up to Haymitch and murmurs "I really think she's blaming motion sickness for what her hormones are doing to her, Haymitch. This isn't the average motion sickness."

"I think you're right," Haymitch whispers back, then Effie comes over, sucking on yet another mint. "Sweetheart, I think that our first stop in this museum is the cafe. You need some water after all that vomit."

"Oh, I know," Effie sighs. "I hate being sick. It's going to be  _horrible_ getting back to the hotel. I should buy a bucket."

They enter the museum, and Haymitch pays for all four of them. The young woman at the desk is starstruck and asks "So, how come you're here? Surely MIss Trinket would be more interested in shopping, right?"

"No, actually," Effie says, beaming at her. "I love museums. And I didn't know we were coming. These three made sure I was asleep before they told the driver where we were going. I'm happy, though."

Haymitch smirks and hugs her. "You're going to love this, Bug," he tells her.

Effie waves to the cashier as they walk away, and they head straight for the cafeteria. "Are we eating?" Katniss asks.

"You think with your stomach," Haymitch says.

"Yeah, because mine has a human in it. What's your excuse?" Katniss fires at him.

"Well, if you're hungry, you can eat," Effie says. 

Haymitch says "You're having some water at the very least."

"Agreed," Effie says softly. The four of them walk into the cafeteria, and Effie grabs a bottle of blueberry Exmof Blice. "How about this? It has vitamins in it. Look, A, B six, B twelve, C, D, E, and it has iron, magnesium, protein, and potassium, and it contains _blueberries_. Doesn't it seem healthy? It also has electrolytes in it for extra hydration, and it's got spring water in it with fulvic minerals."

"If that's what you want, you get it," Haymitch says, kissing her gently. "As long as you get some fluids in you that will hydrate you."

She smiles, and Peeta asks "Who wants cakes?"

"You don't have to ask me," Katniss says, loading up a tray.

"Just a cupcake," Haymitch says. "Bug?"

"Not for me," Effie says. "My Exmof Blice will be fine, I'm a little sensitive right now."

"You can have something later if you get hungry," Haymitch reminds her, rubbing her stomach gently. "How are you feeling?"

"A bit shaky, but I'll live," she says, smiling at him. 

They buy their food and drinks, then go and find a large table, mostly for all of Katniss's food. They sit down, and Katniss digs into her food. Peeta smirks and eats his cake quietly. Haymitch breaks a bit of his cupcake off and pokes Effie's lips with it. "Open up, beautiful," he says.

Smiling fondly at his childish behaviour, Effie opens her mouth and allows him to feed her. She eats the cake, then kisses his cheek gently. "Thank you, darling," she whispers.

"Will you two stop? You're putting me off my nachos," Katniss says, without looking up from said nachos or stopping eating.

"Evidently," Effie mutters snarkily. "With your head buried in them, it's hard to tell if you're put off or not."

Haymitch snickers, then says "Wow, Trinks, your tongue is sharp."

"You should know," Effie whispers with a wicked smile, causing all three of her companions to choke. "Oh, come on! Like you're not all adults who have kissed at least one person before here!"

"You meant  _kissing_?" Peeta splutters.

"Yes," Effie replies, far too innocently. "What... Oh, now, really! I live with perverts!"

"Bug, you have been known to use that sharp little tongue for many other reasons," he says. 

"I would  _never_ discuss what I do in private when I'm not in private with you," she says. "I'm not as dirty outside as I am inside."

"And the nightmare hall of fame nominees just keep rolling in," Peeta groans. "Effie, you're like my  _mo_ _m_ , you need to stop talking about your bedroom activity."

"I wouldn't even have brought it up, given my choice. It's not my fault that you three are perverts," she huffs. "I dread to think what your little girl will learn."

"You should be worried about what our future little ones might learn," Haymitch chuckles.

Effie shudders. "I'm not, because we will be disciplined around our future babies," she declares.

"What, like I spank you for saying damn around them?" Haymitch jokes. "You'd  _love_ that, wouldn't you?"

"I will walk out of this cafeteria and go around the museum alone," she growls. "I hate it when you make sexy jokes in front of people, it scares our kids and humiliates me."

He kisses her gently. "Okay, I'll stop trying to rattle you up," he says, cuddling her. 

After another forty minutes, everyone has finally finished eating and they set off around the museum. The exhibits start with fashions from the eighteen hundreds, and it sucks all four of them in. "What  _is_ this?" Katniss asks, pointing at what appears to be a large skirt skeleton.

"That is a whale bone hoop skirt," Effie says quietly, as if she doesn't want any attention. "It's from around eighteen eighty, which was nearly three centuries ago, and the richer and higher class women wore it under their skirts to hold the material out so that it wouldn't drag. Very clever invention, but I wouldn't advise them, especially not with a corset, as both are extremely impractical."

"You wore one once, right?" Haymitch asks.

"I did," Effie replies. "Very uncomfortable, and made sitting down quite near to impossible, as you can imagine. That was when ancient fashions were in style. I preferred the styles later, such as in the early nineteen hundreds through to the nineteen fifties. I had fun with those."

"I'll bet," Haymitch chuckles. As they go through the years, Effie providing information that the cards don't, they approach the early nineteen hundreds. Haymitch scoffs at a three-piece suit with a tail coat. "Hey, Bug, look. Something I can imagine you trying to force me into."

"From around nineteen ten," Effie muses softly. "It  _would_ flatter you immensely, but I'm yet to find anything I don't find you incredibly attractive in. I think I'm biased."

"Try definitely biased," Katniss mutters under her breath.

"I heard that," Effie says sharply, and winces at her tone, shooting an apologetic look Katniss's way. "See, I like the fact that the collar is detachable. And this is a day outfit, no man would be seen in the evening wearing one of these. No higher class man, anyway. Some didn't have the means. And that hat would look lovely on you, darling. However, I do think you'd find so many layers irritating, and you'd most  _definitely_ try to kill me if I asked you to put an outfit like this on. Although, I think you would be okay with this style of pants. If you look, you'll notice, they're straight legs, and most definitely  _not_ confining, unlike the top half."

Haymitch chuckles and gently pets her. "You're so clever," he whispers, for her ears only. "If you asked, once in a while, I wouldn't mind trying on some of the stuff you like. You wear uncomfortable stuff all the time to appeal to me."

"True," she whispers. "I have a new lingerie set at the hotel that I packed up secretly. Maybe tonight I could put that on, give you a little show?"

"We're still in hearing range!" Peeta says loudly. "And please stop sex talking each other, it's getting more and more disturbing!"

"Stop listening, then!" Haymitch snaps. "We're trying to be quiet over here, we're not broadcasting our sex lives to you!"

Effie groans and walks off, saying "I'm not staying here for this. If you need me, I'll be enjoying the later styles."

Katniss asks "Why do all of our conversations come back to sex? Is she actually right? Are we all perverts?"

"Yes!" Effie calls. "And I've got tiny legs, I'm not far away enough to not hear you yet!"

She strolls along, admiring everything she sees, leaving Haymitch to chase after her. He catches up to her somewhere around nineteen seventy and hugs her close. "Hey, small one," he murmurs, kissing her head. "Sorry about that back there."

"It's fine, the kids were the ones being embarrassing," she says. "I wonder sometimes. These two are adults, yet they have the brain to mouth filters of three year old children."

"None," Haymitch chuckles. "They don't have the excuse three year olds have."

"They've been on earth a lot longer," Effie chuckles softly, snuggling up to him. "I love this style. It's sexy, but not indecent. It's like a more fashionable version of the jumpsuit you had on from District Thirteen."

He grimaces and kisses her head again. "When I saw that thing, all I heard was your horrified little squeaks," he says, rubbing her stomach gently. "I could just  _picture_ your utter disgust at it."

"Well, you needn't now," she laughs. "That thing you were wearing was a monstrosity. I couldn't even  _guess_ at your body through it, and I  _love_ looking at you. And that is why I would prefer to give you something like these flared pants, and this shirt."

Haymitch studies the flared, white and blue striped pants with distaste, then the matching shirt with the flared sleeves. "Those look like a fire hazard and a tripping hazard," he says, smirking. "Would you really trust me in those?"

"No, granted," she giggles. "But they would show you off a little, and in my eyes, that  _never_ hurts."

"Why do we always walk past you when you're flirting?" Peeta groans.

"You have spider senses," Effie says bluntly, her tone betraying her annoyance. "You're psychically tuned into our flirting moments. Now undo that tuning and find a new station, we don't like being overheard as much as you hate hearing it."

Peeta lifts an eyebrow at her in shock, and she cringes. "Well, you've got an attitude on you today," Katniss remarks casually. Too casually, with an undertone of a strange mix of anger and disgust. "What bit you?"

Effie just pouts and says "I didn't mean it to come out that way. But really, it is annoying on all parts here. You two hate hearing us flirting, and we hate the way you react to it, as if we're performing some kind of disturbing sex act on the exhibits. We don't react this way every time we've heard you flirting and sex talking each other-"

"Bug!" Haymitch whines. "They're  _kids_! Stop talking about them having a sex life!"

"-And I'd appreciate a little of the same courtesy from you two. It was only funny the first few times, but now it's repetitive, and frankly, quite insulting," Effie finishes smoothly, as if Haymitch hadn't interrupted her. "Please just give it a rest. We're all adults here."

Both Peeta and Katniss gape at her, and Haymitch says "She's got a point. She's been a bit more blunt with it, but she's right. You two know about the birds and the bees. Well, I assume you do, because I'm  _not_ giving you  _that_ talk now that you've already got a kid on the way. Just accept that we're not celibate like we've had to accept that you're not, and leave it be. Whatever else you hear that disgusts you, complain about when you're not with us."

"Fine," Katniss grumbles.

"Okay," Peeta says, a little more apologetically, and they continue through the museum. Out of respect for the younger couple, Haymitch and Effie silently make a pact to keep their personal displays of affection to the bare minimum somewhere around the end of the late two thousands, just to keep from ruining the rest of the trip.

* * *

Back at the hotel, Peeta asks "What was your favourite decade of the later years?"

Haymitch shrugs. "I kind of liked the older stuff," he says. "But out of the later years, I'd say probably the eighties. Good stuff coming out of there. And some of the music they brought out was good."

Effie nods. "The eighties were a fabulous decade. If I could go back, I would  _love_ to spend some time there. Although, on saying that, the year twenty sixty three, the year the first rebellion started, I loved the styles they had going in spite of their crumbling civilisation," she says. "Very, very out there, and so beautiful. I really admire how they went from painting their faces to look like mosaics to looking almost like the gods and goddesses of old. I loved that they maintained their identities right through the war, and through the negotations for the Games. They were truly forces to be reckoned with in the fashion world. And in the real world, of course."

"Where did you learn all of this?" Katniss asks. "You're like a talking history book."

"It comes with learning the fashion industry," Effie says. "I had to learn it. Being a girl in the city when I was growing up meant you had to study fashion, both old and new, in every sense of the term."

"I didn't know that," Peeta says. "How come?"

"Well, they assumed that the boys would become the successful ones, and we girls were there to look pretty, do pretty, delicate things, and surprisingly, marry young, bear children, and have plastic surgery to stay slender," she says bitterly. "It was horrible, looking back. I'd have loved to do something like archaeology or game design, but things being as they were, that wasn't allowed."

"Wasn't allowed?" Katniss asks. "I thought Capitol people could do whatever they like."

"I can see how it may appear that way," Effie says, toying with her food. "Girls were raised as ladies, and boys were raised as gentlemen. They were taught to marry a good girl and provide for her and their children, never lifting a finger around the house, because they'd have servants. Girls were raised to host tea, marry an upstanding man, have his children, and allow a nanny to raise them. The children would only see their parents if they were showing them off like dolls. Honestly, it's a wonder any citizen of the city ever had compassion, given how many of us were raised without it."

"What about your family?" Peeta asks. "Were they different?"

"No," Effie says shortly. "My family were no different."

"What about siblings? Didn't you mention them?" Katniss asks thoughtfully.

"I'm the youngest of four," Effie says, closing her eyes. "I was the surprise child. My brother is the eldest, he's an accountant now, with a little boy and a wife. Then there's my eldest sister, who lost her husband during the bombing, and was left alone with three lovely little children. And then there's my other sister, who has a little girl and her husband on the outskirts of the city. In age order, when I was born, there was twenty four, twenty two, and sixteen."

Haymitch gently rubs her back. "You don't look happy for someone who was the family baby," he says softly.

"I wasn't a  _wanted_ surprise," she says. "My mother was approaching forty nine when she had me. I was the only one of four to have had a nanny."

Tense silence falls over the table. Effie squirms uncomfortably and Haymitch kisses her cheek softly. "Hey, come on. We'll change the topic. No more sad stuff today, okay? From this minute on, it's all about putting a smile on that beautiful face of yours," he says. "How do you feel about going to that concert tonight?"

"Not great," Effie says, snuggling up to him. "Maybe we should skip."

"You should go," Peeta says. "This concert has a great set list. We're going."

"I'm afraid my days of partying and concerts are far behind me," Effie chuckles sadly. "I did enough of that in my teen years. You two go, don't let us stop you from having fun."

"Come on," Katniss says, rolling her eyes. "You're Effie Trinket, parties are your life. And you love Morel Skyberry." 

"I also love naps, and I am far too tired to go out again," Effie says, stretching in her seat. "All I want is my bed right now, and going in another car will only make me sick." 

"Go take a nap, beautiful," Haymitch says softly, giving her a hug. "I'll get you an hour or so before the concert so that you have time to eat and get all dressed up."

Effie sighs and snuggles him a little, then gets up. "You're the best, darling," she says, then smiles at Peeta and Katniss. "I'll see you later."

She walks out and Haymitch takes her plate to the microwave. "She's not eaten enough," Katniss says.

"She's not feeling great, she'll eat later," Haymitch says, sliding the plate into the microwave and closing it. "I'm not too worried about that right now anyway, she gets funny after travelling. I'm going to the drug store. Don't leave here without letting Effie or me know, okay? This city still isn't much better than it used to be, and you two are unsafe if you're out alone."

He grabs his coat and leaves the room, locking the door behind him. "What do you think he's up to?" Katniss asks.

"I'm not sure," Peeta says. "Probably getting something for tonight. Sickness pills, maybe."

"Are those things safe for her to take?" Katniss asks.

"I assume so," Peeta replies quietly. "Haymitch wouldn't get them for her if he thought they'd hurt her."

"What if she got a false negative last night? Or a positive she didn't want us to know about?" Katniss asks quietly.

"She won't take them if she's pregnant and knows it," Peeta says. "She knows Haymitch wants a baby, she'd never do that."

They start to hear quiet squeaks from the bedroom, and approach the slightly opened door. They peek around the door and see Effie curled in a ball on the bed, looking very much like a cat, fast asleep. Slowly, they return to the living room and sit down. "Do you think she sleeps like that when Haymitch is there?" Katniss asks quietly.

"Curled up? Or in the middle of the bed?" Peeta asks, smirking.

"Curled up," Katniss says.

"Probably. It might keep her warm," he says. "You've seen her outside. It's not cold, and she's dressed for a snowstorm."

They sit and watch the television together for an hour and a half until Haymitch comes back, a few boxes in his hand. "Hey," he says quietly. "Is she still asleep?"

"Think so," Peeta says. "She's really quiet if not. What did you get?"

Haymitch holds up one of the boxes. "Travel sickness pills," he says. "I'm not having her lose her food again. She's skinny enough as it is."

The younger couple share a look, then Peeta asks "Are those safe for her to take?"

"Yeah, she had these when she came to Twelve last year for your birthday party. They're not toxic," he says. "I'm not trying to kill her."

"You have more effective methods for that," Katniss chuckles. "Anyway, that's not what he meant. We were talking, and we wondered if she might have got a false negative, or a positive she didn't want to tell us all about."

"She would have told me when I asked if she'd got a positive test, sweetheart," Haymitch says. "And if she got a false negative, it's not her fault. These things are safe to take during pregnancy anyway, says so on the box."

Just then, Effie stumbles into the living room, rubbing her eyes and yawning. "Where's the flood?" she mumbles.

"Flood?" Haymitch asks.

"You said we had to escape because the bathroom was flooded," Effie replies, collapsing onto the sofa in a heap. "Mm, soft."

"She's sleepwalking," Haymitch chuckles, putting the boxes down. He walks over and picks Effie up, cradling her. She snuggles against him and makes a quiet, contented noise. "Hey, small stuff. Come on, back to bed."

"Bed," she hums, nuzzling his chest. "Bed is good for... Mm... Nice..."

"Yeah, bed is good for nice stuff," he says. "Like sleep."

He disappears into their room with her, and Katniss says "It's a shame we can't get our hands on that test..."

"No," Peeta replies. "Absolutely not. That's not our place, Katniss. Let this be. You've got our baby to worry about."

"Fine," she says and stands up. "Haymitch, we're going to our room to get ourselves sorted for the concert. We'll come by in about two hours."

"Okay," Haymitch says, listening as they leave. He lies with Effie for a while, cuddling her close. He taps her nose gently and chuckles as she paws at her nose. He keeps doing it, laughing at how unaware she is. After a while, he murmurs "You're so cute, Bug."

She mumbles "Eat my fluff, dirty pigeon," rolling onto her back. "I'm a fluffle now."

Haymitch bites his tongue in an attempt not to burst into hysterical laughter, and gently rubs Effie's stomach before getting up. "Don't roll off the bed, fluffy," he tells her quietly, putting pillows all around the bed before he heads into the bathroom. He looks around and sees a stick on top of the bathroom bin, which is full of makeup wipes and cotton balls. He picks it up curiously and looks it over, unable to make sense of it. He shrugs and puts it back, ready to use the toilet. Just as he's about to unzip his jeans, he hears Effie shriek and fall off the bed. He zips his jeans back up and runs into the bedroom to see her scrambling to her feet. "You okay, small stuff?"

"I fell off the bed," she sighs. "Go back to the toilet, I landed on the pillows."

He nods, then asks "What's the stick?"

"What?" she asks, then nods slowly. "That one. That would be a pregnancy test."

"What's it say?" he asks. "I'm an idiot that can't read them."

"I think it's negative," she says. "I'm not sure, but that's what I think. Unless the line that means positive is darker than it was when I used it, it's negative."

"I can't answer you," he says. "No idea what it does."

"I'll look later," she murmurs. "Go on, you must really need to go. I'll just flop here for a bit and come back to earth."

He nods and goes back into the bathroom. The whole time he's in there, he finds himself unable to tear his eyes away from the stick on the top of the trash. 

* * *

An hour later, he gently shakes Effie's shoulder, being careful not to be too rough. "Sweetheart, come on," he murmurs. "You need to eat."

"Not hungry," she says, opening her eyes. "Also not asleep. I'm just trying not to be terrified."

"Terrified of what?" he asks, lying down with her. "Nightmare?"

"No," she replies, then looks at him. "I'm not stupid, Haymitch. The kids think I'm pregnant. You think that."

"I don't," he says. "The kids do, because of your travel sickness problem."

"You don't understand. I'm starting to think I might be, too," she murmurs sadly. "I'm scared of it, Haymitch. I do want a baby, but not right now. I thought we'd have time before we become parents."

"Hey, it's okay," he murmurs. "Even if you are pregnant, you're not likely to be that far along. A month at most. You've already got our wedding planned, right?"

"Yes," she whispers. "I just hoped we'd have a little time, that's all. But on saying that, if I am pregnant, there's no chance of me bleeding on our wedding night. That's a plus, right?"

"I guess it is," Haymitch chuckles. "Come on, we'll get some dinner in you, and then you can get ready for the concert."

"Oh, that," she groans. "No, I forgot all about that. I'm too tired for that energy, Haymitch. Can't we stay home instead?"  
  
"No way," he scoffs. "Put some clothes on, sweetheart. You've been dying to go to one of this guy's concerts for years."

"I'm not in the mood," she grumbles. "I want you."

Against any form of reason, he grabs a long, midnight blue dress and gets her dressed up himself. She folds her arms and pouts. "I was ready to sleep," she huffs. "I don't want to do this, Haymitch."

"Yeah, you do," he says, then kisses her. "You'll love it when you get there."

* * *

At the concert, both Katniss and Peeta wander off to enjoy it while Effie sits in a heap on the ground, pouting. Haymitch asks "Want to dance?"

"Not particularly," Effie mutters. "I want to be back in our hotel. I appreciate how much effort you and the kids have gone to just to make me feel special, Haymitch, but I'm really not feeling it today. Can we go home?"

"You want to go back to the hotel this badly, Bug?" he asks, petting her. 

"Yes," she whispers, so softly that he has to strain to hear her. "I want to spend my night cuddling with you."

He nods, then helps her up. "We'll go find the kids and tell them that we're going back to the hotel," he says. "Better that way. You don't need to be stressed."

She kisses him gently and whispers "Thank you for trying to make me happy by bringing me out tonight. You truly are wonderful. I don't want to seem ungrateful."

"You don't seem ungrateful, you seem like you're tired and just want to be in bed. You kept telling me that you didn't want to come here, and I should have listened," he says.

"It has been fun, though," she whispers. "Had I been a little less tired, I'd have loved it."

"I know you would have, beautiful. It's fine. There'll be more concerts on days you feel great," he says. "I'll take you to those."

"You're a darling," she says softly, curling close to him. 

They've just found Katniss and Peeta when a spotlight shines on Effie. "What the hell?" Haymitch asks.

"There she is!" Morel Skyberry shouts down his microphone. "Ladies and gentlemen, today marks the last surviving escort's twenty eighth birthday! Come on, you lot, let's give her the birthday she deserves!"

"Oh, no," Effie whines, backing away, fear all over her face. That's when everyone around starts singing to her, and her cheeks turn scarlet. Haymitch looks utterly bewildered, and both Peeta and Katniss are grinning as a giant lemon drizzle cake is pushed toward them with the words  _Happy Birthday, Effie_ written on it in giant lemon yellow letters. She looks at the younger couple and asks "Did you two do this?!"

"Well, actually, we just told him that you were a big fan and here tonight," Peeta says. "He did the rest. We didn't ask him to. The cake was our doing, though."

"If this wasn't in a public area and I didn't love you both so much, I'd throttle you for doing this to me," she says tearfully, her voice breaking. She hugs them both and sobs "You're so sweet, and when I stop feeling overwhelmed and loved, I'm going to yell at you for three whole hours for pushing people's attention on me."

"Miss Trinket!" a voice calls from behind them.

"Sorry, Mr Skyberry, she's having a moment," Peeta chuckles. 

Effie whispers "Tell me I'm having a nightmare."

"You're having a nightmare," Haymitch chuckles, getting a punch in the arm from Katniss. "Ouch! Okay, okay, give it a rest! You're not having a nightmare, Bug."

Effie wipes her face slowly before turning to face the singer. "Hi," she says quietly. 

"Hey," he says, gazing at her like she's the eighth wonder of the universe. "Can I just say, it's an honour to meet you. You've been my idol ever since you started modelling."

"Oh," Effie breathes. "Well, thank you."

"You're still as beautiful as ever, and even more so in person," he tells her, still clearly starstruck.

Haymitch says "And here I was, thinking she'd be all moony-eyed over you."

Morel Skyberry gapes at her. "Wait, you're really a fan?!" he asks, shock all over his face. 

"Yes," Effie replies, smiling a little. "Did you truly doubt that?"

He stares more and laughs "None of my friends will  _ever_ believe this!  _You_ like  _my_ music! That's when you  _know_ you've made it!"

"Well, I wouldn't be at your concert if I didn't like your music, would I?" Effie asks, smiling. 

"Can I get a picture?" he asks hopefully. "Just to remind myself that this isn't a dream?"

"Only if you promise to send it to me," she says. "I'd love a memory of this."

They take pictures of all five of them, then individual ones together. Effie then gives him her private email address and smiles sweetly. "Come on, beautiful," Haymitch chuckles.

"I'm coming," she says. "Morel, please send those pictures to me as soon as possible, okay?"

"Okay," he says, staring at her. "See you soon."

"See you soon," Effie replies, then snuggles up to Haymitch. "Aww. What a dear. Now, you, home time. I think a hot and heavy makeout session is in order."

"I'm up for that," he chuckles. 

* * *

Three hours after their return to the hotel, Haymitch murmurs "Well, Bug, check you out. Still attracting men from all over the country."

"The only man I want to attract is you," she whispers, cuddling him.

"Good," he murmurs as the door to their hotel room bursts open. "Oh, Panem's sake..."

Peeta bursts in and gasps "Haymitch, Effie, come on!"

"You'd better be dying, boy," Haymitch snarls.

"Katniss's water broke," Peeta tells him breathlessly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There we go, that was chapter eight! Sorry about the cliffhanger there, but it'll be resolved next week. I hope you enjoyed this one, and I can't wait to see what you have to say. As always, leave any thoughts, theories, ideas, constructive criticisms, or even prompts for the outtakes in a comment below. I hope you liked this one, even though it was an hour and a half late! I hope to see you next week.
> 
> Hope you've all had a good week, and that this week is nice to you. Lots of love and happiness to you all. Cat xxx


	9. The New Addition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peeta's come to Haymitch and Effie for help with some unexpected news, and their help comes with surprising results.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, hi! I'm so sorry for that cliffhanger last chapter. I hope you're not _too_ mad at me for that one. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Significantly _less_ long than the last one, but jam-packed nonetheless.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games, its characters, or its world. All rights go to Suzanne Collins, and I am not Suzanne. I just like to play around with her characters.

_Previously in Expanding The Team..._

_**"Well, Bug, check you out. Still attracting men from all over the country."** _

_**"The only man I want to attract is you," she whispers, cuddling him.** _

_**"Good," he murmurs as the door to their hotel room bursts open. "Oh, Panem's sake..."** _

_**Peeta bursts in and gasps "Haymitch, Effie, come on!"** _

_**"You'd better be dying, boy," Haymitch snarls.** _

_**"Katniss's water broke," Peeta tells him breathlessly.** _

* * *

"What?! But she's not due for another month!" Haymitch yells, bolting upright.

"Is she okay?! Oh, Peeta, you  _did_ call an ambulance, didn't you?!" Effie squeaks, grabbing her robe and wrapping it around herself. 

"She told me not to," Peeta says. "We need you both there now, she's terrified and doesn't want to do this without you."

Effie squeaks, getting out of bed, covered by her robe. "I'm going to her! Haymitch, put some clothes on!" she squeals, running at full tilt toward the exit.

Haymitch sighs. "That girl has the worst timing ever," he grumbles. "And your baby's not much better."

"Put your jabs aside, okay? This is supposed to be a happy occasion, and we don't need you being all grouchy about it," Peeta says. 

Haymitch rolls his eyes and says "You sound way too much like Effie, but fine. Let's get out of here, your girl needs you."

He and Peeta head up the corridor to hear Katniss groan in pain and Effie saying "There, darling. That's one more contraction closer to getting her out. You're doing spectacularly. When our men get here, I'll get you a hot bottle for your back pain."

"You're a saint," Katniss breathes.

Haymitch murmurs "It sounds like Effie's got it under control."

"You still have to come in here," Peeta whispers back, then grabs Haymitch's wrist as he opens the door. "Hey, are we allowed in?"

"Yes," Effie replies. "Excellent timing, too."

Katniss lets out another sharp groan. "Put me out of my misery!" she groans, squeezing hard on Effie's hand.

"Oh, my poor girl," Effie whispers, gently stroking Katniss's hair back with her free hand. "Will you boys come over here and hold her hand for a moment while I go and fetch her a hot water bottle?"

Peeta and Haymitch approach, and Katniss growls "If either of you get anywhere near me, I'll break  _both_ of your necks!"

Effie sighs and hugs Katniss close. "Okay, sweetie. Peeta, would you be a dear and get us an ambulance? I know it's not what you want, Katniss, but I don't think any of us are equipped to help if anything happens," Effie says, trying her best to be calm and comforting, despite the state of panic that they're all in.

Peeta nods and runs off, and Katniss groans "I  _so_ don't want to go to the hospital."

"And you probably won't," Effie says softly. "I'd just prefer to have medical attention immediately to hand, just to keep you and your little girl safe. This isn't ideal timing."

"You're telling me," Katniss mutters breathlessly. 

"Haymitch, darling, please will you go and get Katniss a hot water bottle?" Effie asks. "The heat can help with pain."

Eager to be away from the women, Haymitch almost dives into the kitchen area of the hotel room. He boils the water in a tin and searches for a hot water bottle. He decides he's taking too long as Katniss's groans start to get louder and more frequent, so he pokes his head around the wall to the living room. "Effie, do you know where the hot bottles might be?"

"It's under the sink!" Katniss groans. "Peeta put it there yesterday!"

Haymitch reboils the water, then pours it into a glass jug just to have something to channel the water into the top of the bottle. A few seconds go by and Katniss lets out a loud yell. He hears Effie saying "It'll be okay, darling. Your little one will be here soon," then her shout of "Haymitch! Please hurry up with that damn bottle already!"

He quickly fills it up, then wraps it in a soft towel. He rushes into the living room, and hands it to Effie. "No need to curse at me, Bug," he chuckles, enjoying being the one to tell her off for a change.

Effie gives him a filthy glare, then props the bottle on a heap of cushions underneath Katniss so that it's pressed flush to her back. "How does that feel, sweetie?" she asks softly.

"A little better," Katniss sighs quietly. "Just enough to make it feel like the really bad cramps."

Effie nods, then strokes Katniss's hair. "Good. Haymitch, I hate to ask a lot of you, but please will you check on our boy and see when the medics will be here?" she asks, knowing perfectly well that he doesn't enjoy seeing Katniss in pain.

Haymitch nods and leaves the room, finding Peeta in the hall, hunched up with his face to the wall. "You okay, boy?" he asks, closing the door on Katniss's groans.

Peeta nods, then shakes his head. "I don't know, Haymitch," he mutters, so quietly that if Haymitch hadn't been used to living with an almost silent Effie all the time, he wouldn't have heard him. "I thought I was ready to be a dad, and now I don't know. I'm still a wreck. What if I hurt the baby? What if I'm a useless dad? What if I hurt Katniss and she takes the baby away out of fear?"

"Listen to me," Haymitch says, sitting beside him. "I've never known a guy more suited to being a dad than you. You haven't had a flashback in months. You've put up with a pregnant Katniss, and you've been fine with it. That kid of yours is going to be the most well cared for, spoiled, and happy kid the world's ever known."

"What if I hurt her, though, Haymitch? What if I have a flashback and hurt her? Or try to hurt Katniss? Or accidentally squash the baby while she sleeps?" Peeta asks, verging on sobbing. "I don't want to hurt either of them."

"You won't," Haymitch says, shifting closer and wrapping his arm around Peeta. "It's normal to be scared, kid, but you're this kid's dad. Once you get hold of her, you won't let anything bad happen to her. You've not hurt Katniss all this time, and you won't hurt your daughter. Trust me on this one. Instinct takes over when it comes to your kids."

"Do you have kids that you haven't told us about?" Peeta asks. "You sound like you're talking from experience."

"I have you and the girl," he says. "That's the closest I've got to biological kids, but I still won't let either of you get hurt. You're going to do just great, kid. You'll see. Your little girl's going to be just perfect, and you're going to do everything you can to keep her that way. You'll do a better job than I did with you two, if that's any consolation."

"We're alive, so you did your job," Peeta chuckles weakly. "Listen, I need your help. You need to get the baby to safety if anything happens with us, okay? You and Effie are the only people Katniss and I agree on trusting with her when we're not around."

"That's a bold choice," Haymitch chuckles, gently squeezing Peeta to him. "It'll be fine, kid. You can rely on us to help you out, but before we can do that, we need to make sure your baby gets out okay. Did you call the ambulance?"

"Yeah, they're on their way," Peeta says quietly, then they're interrupted by Katniss's screech.

"Peeta! Haymitch!" Effie shouts, sounding panicked. "Come in here!"

Fear shoots through both men, and they burst into the room to see Katniss lying on a towel and squeezing onto a solid rubber stress ball that Haymitch had given to Effie just after she'd woken up from the sedatives after her release from the Capitol cells, and Effie now kneeling between Katniss's spread apart ankles and looking terrified. "What's up, Bug?" Haymitch asks.

"I need string, scissors, a soft towel, and hot water," Effie says quietly. "Peeta, darling, I need you to come and cuddle Katniss for me. Cuddles are a must."

Katniss shoots Peeta a pleading look, while Haymitch gets the supplies Effie needs. He brings her a large bowl filled with water with the label  _baby bath_ on it, several soft pink towels, thick string still in the plastic wrap, and a pair of scissors not even out of their packet yet. Effie smiles sweetly up at him and tugs him down for a kiss, then rushes to the kitchen to wash her hands. She returns with clean, dry hands, then kneels back down. Katniss asks "When can I push, Effie?" then lets out a loud scream of pain.

Effie grabs a latex-free glove from the birth bag that Katniss has been bringing everywhere with her lately, and a ruler. Haymitch and Peeta look away as Effie figures out how close to delivery Katniss is. After a minute, Effie says "On the next contraction, dear girl, try a little push. So far, everything seems good."

Not even two minutes later, Katniss groans and pushes a little. "Like that?" Katniss asks.

"Exactly like that," Effie replies, trying her best to be encouraging. "That was wonderful, darling."

Slowly, the intensity of the pushes increase until Haymitch asks "How long is this going to take?"

"Not much longer now," Effie says, a small smile on her lips. "If I'm not mistaken, and I don't think I am, the little one's head is crowning."

Katniss sobs quietly, and Haymitch's curiosity gets the better of him. He peeks over Effie's shoulder and pales. "Seriously?" he asks. "That's what it looks like?"

"Now, Haymitch, it's not that bad," Effie tells him. "Honestly, I doubt you'll be able to tell soon. Come on, Katniss, my dear, another one. Try the breathing techniques we practiced last month. In and out."

Beyond screaming at her, Katniss obeys, her hand turning marble white as she squeezes the stress ball while she pushes. "Well done," Peeta whispers comfortingly.

"I'm never doing this again," Katniss growls. "Ever. I'll castrate you for suggesting another."

That makes Haymitch pale further and look at Effie. "Suddenly having our own kids seems terrifying," he tells her.

Effie shakes her head, smiling slightly, then her face lights up. "Oh! Okay, here she comes," she squeaks. "You're doing beautifully, Katniss."

Katniss groans and Peeta asks "How long?"

"Well, the top of the little lady's head is out," Effie says, beaming. "Next contraction, you push again, dear."

Katniss nods, and groans, pushing hard. Effie leans forward and gently lifts the baby's forehead a little so that her delicate baby skin isn't rubbing on the towel. Haymitch watches Peeta try to comfort Katniss, solely to avoid watching the actual birth. "It's okay, Katniss. You've done so well all this time," Peeta murmurs. "It'll be fine."

After another push, Effie says "Her head's out, Katniss. You just need to get her shoulders out now, then the hardest parts are over. You'll be able to hold her soon."

Katniss whines "I'm  _so_ never doing this again!"

Haymitch says "You won't have to."

"I hope you're ri- _ght, oh my flying hobbits!"_ Katniss screams. "Tell me that's the shoulders!"

"It is," Effie says, giving Katniss a small, sympathetic smile. "You're nearly done, darling, she's almost here."

Three more pushes, and the baby starts to sob. "Is it over?" Haymitch asks.

Effie smiles slightly and scoops the baby up. "It's well and truly over," she says, cradling the baby gently, careful to support her whole body. "Pass me a towel, Haymitch."

Haymitch lies the towel flat on Effie's lap and watches with amazement as she wraps the little, squirming child up in the towel. "Where'd you learn to do that?" he asks.

"I have siblings, all of whom have children," Effie says, then lets Katniss take the baby. "Here she is. She needs her cord cutting and tying, but she's otherwise perfect. Congratulations, my darlings."

As always, the medics enter the room a little late. Haymitch chuckles "You're a little late, the baby's out."

"Well, there's always medical procedures needed," Effie points out. "The baby's responses need testing, and she's in need of an actual medic to help her parents cut and tie the cord, and her mother needs to be checked out for any after-birth issues. I'm just going to wash my hands. Haymitch, come get me if anyone needs anything."

Effie strolls to the bathroom, and a medic asks "That your midwife?"

"No, that's Effie," Katniss says. "Our adoptive mom, in a way."

The medics nod to each other, and proceed to examine both Katniss and the baby, and Haymitch gets up. He walks into the bathroom and finds Effie sat on the closed lid of the toilet, sobbing. "Hey, Bug," he says quietly, closing the door. "What's up?"

"I just helped her deliver a baby," Effie sobs. "Is that what it'll be like for us? Scary and painful? Will we have as much panic as our kids did?"

"Probably," Haymitch replies uselessly. "It's probably going to be worse, because you have the same pain tolerance as you do alcohol tolerance."

"I have no alcohol tolerance," Effie sniffs.

"My point exactly," he chuckles. "Your pain tolerance is also depressingly low. You've been known to cry for hours over a stubbed toe."

"That was  _once_ , and it broke my toenail," she huffs, sniffing. "I think I had my rights to cry, there was a lot of blood, and my pedicure was ruined."

"I meant the one last month, Bug," he chuckles. "You tripped over the coffee table."

"Oh, that," she sighs, giggling tearfully. "Yes, I know. That was very silly of me. Here, tell me, do I look a mess?"

"Not as much as you normally do," he says, smirking. "You just look like a soggy mess."

"You're terrible," she chuckles, then wipes her face up. "Okay, I think we should go and see to the new parents and the baby, don't you?"

"Sure," Haymitch says, offering her his hand. She reaches up and takes hold of it, and he notices the black bruising on her hand. "That looks like she tried to crush the bones out."

"Oh, it's fine. It's not sore. You know me, skin like a peach," she chuckles, standing up. She stretches up on her toes to kiss him gently. "I love you."

"You're getting sappy on me," he tells her in mock despair, kissing her nose. "This is what babies do, they make you all gooey."

He pokes her stomach gently, making her giggle and squirm. "I'm not gooey for telling you I love you," she argues, smiling. "I'm gooey because of that."

They leave the bathroom to find Katniss and Peeta with their heads together, whispering. Haymitch clears his throat, then the younger couple nod. "Hey," Peeta says.

"How did it go with the medics?" Effie asks softly.

"It went great," Katniss says. "Everything's fine, she's surpisingly well developed for a premature baby, so they weren't very concerned, and we're waiting until we get home to register her."

"Good idea," Haymitch says approvingly. "Have you decided on a name yet?"

The younger couple share a look before nodding slowly. "We have," Peeta says.

"But we want your opinions before we register her," Katniss says. "We don't want to name her anything that might bring up bad stuff for you."

"What's her name?" Effie asks eagerly.

Katniss takes a deep breath, then says "Willow Acacia Primrose Mellark."

"Nice," Haymitch says. "That'll be fun to teach her to spell."

Effie elbows him gently, smiling. "It's beautiful. Where did you get Willow Acacia from?" she asks.

"We got Willow from a show we were watching," Katniss says.

"And Acacia reminds us of the name of someone we love a lot without actually naming her for that someone," Peeta tells her, a smug look on his face. 

"Well, the name is beautiful," Effie says, smiling, clearly clueless. "Don't you think so, Haymitch?"

"Yeah," Haymitch says, then yawns. "As nice as this is, we were ready for bed when Willow decided she wanted to see us all."

"Very true," Effie says, the warm smile still glued to her face. "I think you three would love some time without us intruding, just to get to know each other."

Katniss yawns a little, then nods. "Maybe we could do with some sleep," she agrees. "Thanks for everything."

Haymitch nods, his eyes already starting to drift closed, and Effie says "It's fine, darling, you're all okay, and that's what counts. We'll see you tomorrow. Sleep well. Come on, honey, we'll go to bed now."

She tugs Haymitch out of the room and to their own room. As soon as they're inside, she takes off her robe and strolls to their room, draping her robe over the headboard before she gets into bed. Haymitch takes his time undressing, watching Effie as she stares at him. "What?" he asks. "Something on my face?"

"No, you're just sexy," she tells him, smiling. "I really hope that we never have to go through having a baby before it's full-term."

"We won't," he says. "You've never loved being early or late, you're too punctual to make something eager to be early."

"And you prefer to be late," she points out. "If I'm lucky, our baby will be a week or two late. Now get in bed, and if you have any energy left, we might find out this time in forty one weeks whether or not we're right."

He chuckles and climbs into bed with her, kissing her gently. "It might be sooner. Are you going to get one of those tests that tells you in clear wording or not?" he asks.

"I will tomorrow," she says. "I'm not ready for that yet. Are we having sex or are we sleeping?"

Haymitch grins and kisses her again, holding her close. "You know perfectly well what the answer to that is," he murmurs. The rest of the night is filled with groans, moans, and giggling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here she is! Little Willow Mellark has made it into the world. How do you feel about this? How do you think she'll affect her family? What did you expect from this chapter? If you have any thoughts, theories, constructive criticism, or ideas for outtakes, let me know in a comment below. 
> 
> I hope you've had a good week, and that this week treats you well. Much love and happiness to you all. Cat xxx


	10. Going Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After their venture in the Capitol and the surprisingly early birth of Willow, the team pack up to go home to Twelve.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone, and welcome back to Expanding The Team. I hope you like it, and I'm sorry in advance for what you're about to read. If you have issues with blood, and/or miscarriage, this is not the chapter for you. Please click the link reading _more notes _for the end notes, or read until the exclamation points * (!) *.__
> 
> __Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games, its characters, or its world. All rights go to Suzanne Collins, and I am not Suzanne, I just like playing around with her characters._ _

_It's nowhere near dawn._ That's the first thing Haymitch registers at the soft sound of sobbing coming from his fiancee's side of the bed. "You okay?" he mumbles sleepily.

"That was terrifying," she sobs, and he assumes she means Katniss delivering Willow. "I didn't know if they'd be okay, and I could have accidentally killed both of them. I'm not trained, Haymitch. I should have called an ambulance sooner."

"You did what you thought was right," he says, wrapping his arms around her. "You got both Katniss and the baby through it all alive. I've never seen you so determined and calm. You're the girl's best friend right now. She's alive, her baby's alive, and you're the reason why."

"She was  _lucky_!" Effie sobs. "I could just as easily have been the reason they both died!"

"But you're not," Haymitch insists and hugs her close. "You're the reason they're alive. You got that baby out, and you're the first person she saw face to face. I get that you're terrified, Bug, that was scary, but you need to accept that you did a brilliant job. Because of you, Katniss isn't in a state of panic, and the baby's safely in her mom's arms. You did what most people just don't know how to do. You stayed calm through all of that, and you delivered a premature baby. How many women today can say that they're totally untrained and still safely delivered a baby?" 

Effie sobs "Haymitch, don't you see? She was premature, and I didn't call an ambulance. I should have, but I didn't, and I risked both our girl and her baby by not calling for help."

"They probably wouldn't even have got here in time anyway, and the girl would have panicked had it been anyone but you delivering her baby," Haymitch says. "You did what had to be done. You could have left the girl alone, and then something really bad might have happened. You did what any sane woman would, and you stayed calm throughout everything just so that she wouldn't freak out."

"I don't know, Haymitch. I feel like I took a needless risk," she whispers. "I don't know how you saw me as calm. I was terrified. That's my girl in there, and I risked her life again just so that I could feel like I've done some good to a child. I should have done what was sensible instead. I was stupid to think it was safe."

Haymitch kisses the back of her neck as he cuddles her. "You did do some good, Eff. So what if your reasoning was slightly selfish? You got Peeta to call for the ambulance, you soothed Katniss, you made birth easy for her, and you delivered that baby girl with total composure. You nailed the practice, and you made sure that Katniss was in good hands before you came in here to freak out. Everything went perfectly. It's okay now," he says.

"After Peeta told us that Katniss was in labour, and I got over my initial  _she's not full term yet, help_ , I thought that this was a brilliant chance to make myself useful to her and help her in ways I've never helped before," Effie whispers, sobbing. "It didn't last very long, because she needed me, but for one selfish second... You don't seem to understand just how despicable I feel right now. It's just like it was when I told the children that they were my ticket to promotions. It was horrible and selfish of me, and I should never have considered it. It's sad, Haymitch. You three are all so sweet, so selfless, and so loving toward each other, and as hard as I try, I'll never truly be that way. I'll never be like you or the kids."

He cuddles her close and says "We've always known you had a little strip of selfishness, Eff. Everyone does. The difference is, you got Peeta to call for an ambulance, and when they didn't show in time, you helped Katniss deliver. If you'd done it to be selfish and win respect, you wouldn't have got Peeta to call for an ambulance, and you wouldn't have tried everything you could to keep her as relaxed as possible. Your goal would have been to deliver the baby and keep the baby safe. You did what you could to keep our girl and the baby safe, and everything you did was in their best interest. You stayed with her when Peeta and I couldn't handle it for her sake. You don't give yourself enough credit, Eff. That one split second of selfishness wasn't enough to counteract the good you did. Willow was ready to come, and you couldn't prevent that."

"I should have taken Katniss to the hospital," Effie sobs. "It was stupid of me to let her give birth on the floor with no medically trained experts around."

"Effie, stop. You've done something fantastic. You couldn't help any of it happening, but you made it so much better for them all. Focus on what you did right, not that one selfish moment you had," he murmurs. "Without you, who knows what would have happened?"

She sniffs and clings to him. "We should go to sleep, we've got to start a long journey in the morning." 

* * *

The morning comes quicker than they want it to, and with it comes a very sleepy Katniss, an irritable Peeta, and a whining baby Willow, who looks easily the most rested. "Good morning," Effie mumbles, snuggling down under the duvet. 

"For  _you,_ maybe," Katniss grumbles. If you're clothed, will you hold Willow for a minute? She's been whining all night."

Effie sits up and pulls on her robe, much to Haymitch's displeasure, then reaches out for Willow. "Come here, my little treasure," Effie coos, taking Willow from her exhausted mother. "Oh, you are so precious, aren't you, little lady?" 

"If you want her, you can keep her," Katniss sighs, lying down on the end of the bed and closing her eyes.

"You know we've had sex there, right?" Haymitch asks, wriggling his feet to get Katniss off them.

"Is there anywhere you two haven't had sex?" Peeta asks.

Effie rolls her eyes and Haymitch says "In your bed. Everywhere else has been fair game."

"Haymitch!" Effie gasps. "Don't listen to him, dear, he's just winding you up. We do have  _some_ self control."

"Where?" Haymitch asks. "In the torn panties you've stuffed in the wastepaper can? Or that bra we ruined with the whipped cream?"

"Haymitch! Little ears are listening ears, and this little sweetheart is only a day old, please do not traumatise her with that!" Effie squeals.

"How you can talk so high, so long, and so fast without breathing amazes me even now," he replies.

Peeta sits down on the end of the bed with Katniss and says "If it's okay with you two, I'm just going to take a nap."

He's asleep before either of them can protest, leaving them with Willow. "So, sweetheart, has she put you off having a baby?" Haymitch asks.

"No," Effie replies. "You're the one who convinced me that having one is a good idea, and looking at this adorable munchkin makes it seem even more appealing. Don't you, you chunky little monkey? Yes, you do. You're so sweet!"

As if offended by this comment, Willow grabs Effie's soft curls and pulls hard, making her hiss in pain. "What was that, sweetheart? She's sweet?" Haymitch chuckles, rolling over to watch.

"She  _is_ , but she's got my hair!" Effie groans, trying desperately to keep her voice low to avoid disturbing the sleeping couple by her feet. She tries her hardest to tug her hair free of Willow's chubby little fist, and murmurs "Come on, beautiful girl, let go. I'm sorry I called you sweet. I won't do it again, just please give me my hair back."

Appeased, Willow releases Effie's hair and makes a happy little sound, and Haymitch starts laughing. "I wish I'd filmed that, Bug. You negotiating with a baby... Would make for a great video for our movie nights," he splutters, going red in the face.

Effie pouts and plays with Willow's hand. "Here, beautiful girl, do you want to play with Grandpa Haymitch's hair?" she asks quietly. "He thinks that you pulling people's hair is funny. Yes he does."

"Don't let her anywhere near me if she's going to pull my hair," Haymitch says, all traces of laughter gone. "You pull it enough. In fact, don't let her anywhere near me at all."

Effie frowns at him and asks "Why not? Don't you want to give her cuddles?"

"No," he replies. "I might drop her."

"How do you plan to be a father if you don't want to hold a baby? I won't be able to do it all alone," she says, looking disappointed and confused. 

"I'll hold ours, just when I'm sat down," he says. "I don't want to carry it around and stuff."

"What about dressing it, bathing it, changing its diapers?" she asks. "What if we have to give it formula? What then? Am I supposed to do it all on my own?"

"No, as long as you make sure it's safe," he replies, then sits up and looks down at Willow. Effie watches as his expression changes from fear to a look of love and admiration, and a small smile flits across her face. "She's beautiful, though. I think you've been replaced as the most important girl in my life, sweetheart."

"I'm fine with that," Effie chuckles. "Our kids and Willow are our priorities. We make sure they come before us."

Haymitch tears his gaze from Willow and presses a gentle kiss on Effie's lips. "That doesn't mean I don't love and want to protect you, too," he whispers, bumping his nose gently on hers.

"I know that, darling," she murmurs sweetly. "We should probably start preparing things for her at home, too. I want her to be entertained when she comes to visit us, she won't want to chat like her parents do."

Haymitch groans quietly and presses his palm to Effie's face. "I prefer your ideas when they require less than five percent effort," he says. "Or involve sex, in which case, I like all the effort."

"You're like a teenage boy," Effie giggles, removing his hand from her face. "The very sight of a woman and you're desperate to get between her legs."

Haymitch makes a disgusted face, then in mock disgust, says "No, the sight of  _you_ , and I'm desperate to get between  _your_ legs. Not just any woman, I'm not that desperate for it."

"If I'd said the sight of  _me_ made you want sex, you'd have called me arrogant," she points out.

"Would I have been wrong?" he asks, lifting an eyebrow.

"Well,  _no_ , but that is beside the point," she says. "The point is, you're obsessed with sex. I'm not complaining, because I am too, but that's the only time you like to put all of your effort in."

"Not _just_ the effort I'm putting in, if you catch my drift," he chuckles, sliding his hand under the duvet to stroke her thigh.

"I catch your drift, and I throw it back," she says with a slight purr. "Anyway, I do want something for her to play with and enjoy. We can't expect her poor, frazzled parents to have it all together."

"They're still kids themselves," Haymitch grumbles. "I'm still not pleased that they thought it was okay to have sex."

"Without them doing that, we wouldn't have this little beauty in our lives," Effie says, then kisses Willow's forehead. "Isn't Grandpa being silly? Of course we want you around."

"I'm okay with the baby, just not as okay with how they got her," he sighs. 

"Well, you're old enough to know that without the making process, babies don't happen. They're not mystically made, you know," she says, then smiles a bit at Willow. "I love you, little baby girl. You're a beautiful little handful."

Willow gets the same smug look her mother gets when something goes her way, and the older couple try to stifle their laughter. "When she gets bigger, she's going to be ten handfuls all at once," Haymitch mutters, choking a little on his muffled laughter.

"She is," Effie agrees. "She's very much like her mother, but she has Peeta's sensitive and open side, too. You can see it already. She's everything about her mom, and everything about her dad. The very best qualities of them both."

"You're soft on her," Haymitch comments, kissing her cheek.

"It is  _very_ hard not to be when she's so perfect. She's everything I love about her parents combined," Effie gushes, gently stroking Willow's cheek. "I do hope you realise that I love this child more than life itself."

"Yeah, I get that," Haymitch agrees. "So do I."

* * *

While allowing Katniss and Peeta to sleep, Effie holds Willow while Haymitch packs up all of their bags for them, and by the time Katniss and Peeta wake up, they're ready to leave, and Willow is having a diaper change, which Haymitch refused to have anything to do with. "Hey, what time is it?" Katniss asks sleepily.

"Nearly time to leave," Effie replies, making faces at Willow as she changes her diaper. "I was about to send Haymitch to get you."

"How's Willow been?" Peeta asks, walking over.

"She's been as good as gold, unlike her perverted grandfather over there," Effie says, ruining the effect of her words with a fond smile at Haymitch, who just flips her off. "She's only needed one diaper change so far, but I think she may be hungry. She hasn't cried though, which is quite concerning."

"She's been with you," Peeta says. "You've got a calming energy when she's around."

"Effie Trinket, calming," Katniss chuckles, shaking her head. "Not a combination I'd have thought possible before yesterday."

Effie smiles a bit. "That's not a combination I'd have thought possible at all," she murmurs.

"You kids and your human cocktail broke my wife," Haymitch complains playfully. "You made her compassionate and gooey." 

Effie gives him a stern glare, then retorts with "You're just jealous because I love other people as well as you. Not the  _same_ love, granted, but love nonetheless."

Haymitch rolls his eyes and watches as Effie finishes redressing the baby and lifts her gently and cradles her close. He stares at her, studying her smile and the happiness that seems to be radiating from her, and not for the first time, he notices how happy and at ease she is with the newborn. He watches her cross the room and place her in Katniss's arm. "Thanks, Effie," Katniss says, bouncing Willow gently. "Don't know what we'd do without you and Haymitch around."

"You'd probably have four kids by now," Haymitch mutters. 

"Haymitch!" Effie snaps, causing Willow to whine softly and scrunch her face up in the manner that usually means screaming. Effie immediately stops and says "Okay, okay, no more loudness. I'm sorry, I'll tell him off quietly." 

Willow still starts crying and Haymitch loudly suggests "Try promising not to tell me off at all!" 

Desperately, Effie squeaks "I promise not to tell him off in your earshot again!" 

Willow stops screaming, but she's still whining. "Think that's the best we'll ever get from her," Haymitch sighs. 

"Only Willow could ever have that effect on our Effie," Peeta chuckles. "You'll need more resolve when she gets older, Effie." 

"I'll find some in about a year," Effie says, then strolls over and gingerly sits on Haymitch's lap, wary of hurting him, then winds her arms around his neck. His arms snake around her waist and his lips land on her neck. She smiles and turns to give him a kiss. "Hey, gorgeous."

"Hey," he whispers, kissing her lips gently. "You seemed a bit too cautious sitting down, are you feeling okay? I didn't hurt you last night, did I?" 

"Not at all, I was just wary of dropping my whole weight on you," she says, snuggling close to him. 

Willow whines again and starts suckling at her mother's shirt. Katniss sighs and moves her shirt and nursing bra aside, ready to feed her baby. Haymitch averts his eyes, and mumbles "Seen way too much Everdeen."

Effie, however, has no such reservations. She quietly asks "Does it hurt to feed her, Katniss?" 

"Not as much as I thought it would. My nipples are kind of tender, and her tongue's kind of rough, and she's not gentle. It's not very comfortable, but I'm not really very bothered by it," she replies, then looks at the older woman. "How's the pregnancy thing going?"

"Well, I'm not pregnant," Effie says, a touch of sadness in her tone. "I just hope that it happens around the wedding." 

"Oh," Katniss says, sounding slightly disappointed. 

"What's the matter?" Effie asks. "It was the plan, after all." 

"We thought, what with you being sick a lot and being so hungry all the time, that you might be pregnant," Peeta says quietly. 

Effie nods slightly. "I was hoping for it," she says quietly. "It's just not the right time yet, I don't think."

Haymitch gently rubs Effie's stomach, bumping his nose on her cheek. "It'll happen, Bug. Just give it time," he says softly, sensing something amiss with her. "Don't stress yourself out about it."

"We should get going when Willow's done eating," Effie says quietly, resting her head on Haymitch's shoulder. "As nice as it's been here, I would love to sleep in our own bed again." 

* * *

On the train back to District Twelve, Willow has fallen asleep, and Peeta, Katniss, and Haymitch are all laughing, joking, and generally enjoying themselves. Effie is curled in an armchair in a corner, a blanket around her shoulders and a mug of hot chocolate in her hands. She's sat quietly, staring at nothing, and not attracting any attention, which is unusual, even for her newly found quietness. It takes four hours before anyone even notices that she isn't adding to the conversation, despite the topic being her and Haymitch's wedding. When Peeta notices, he looks over at her and asks "Effie? What's the matter?" 

That catches Haymitch's and Katniss's attention, and both of them turn in their seats to look at the silent blonde in the corner. She's still out of it, zoned into her own mind. Haymitch, fearing an episode, slowly approaches her and taps her shoulder softly and whispers "Bug? You in there?" 

Effie starts a little, then asks "What's the matter? What are we talking about?" 

He pets her gently and softly says "You. Where did you go? You looked like you were miles away." 

"Oh. It's nothing, just me being tired," she says, and this time, the younger couple pick up on it. "Should we go to bed?" 

"If you want to," Haymitch says, shrugging. "Want me to warm that chocolate up for you?" 

"Oh, it's cold," she remarks, seeming mildly surprised. "Yes, please, if you don't mind."

That strikes everyone as odd, as Effie never usually wants to just accept help or offers of kindness. Haymitch, shaking off the weirdness, kisses her head and takes her mug, then walks to the microwave. Katniss, unable to resist, asks "What's up, Effie? You seem kind of... Not you. Something you want to talk about?"

"I know you want to talk, but I just don't feel up to it tonight. I'm sorry. Maybe some other time," Effie says softly, and the look on her face suggests that whatever it is, it's not a good thing. Haymitch, having heard everything, worries about her silently. He takes her hot chocolate out of the microwave and adds some marshmallows, a treat she hardly ever allows herself, then gives her the mug. "Thank you, my love."

He nods his acknowledgement, then kisses the top of her head. He strokes her hair while she drinks the hot drink and allows her to rest her head against his stomach. The lack of chat coming from her suggests that her thoughts are travelling down a dark path. After she finishes her drink, he picks her up, blanket and all, then says "Night, kids. Come on, Bug."

**(!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!)**

Effie willingly snuggles up to him and buries her nose in the crook of his neck. Once in their compartment of the train, she slowly takes off her clothes and gets into bed. Haymitch quickly follows suit, and wraps his arms around her tiny body. "I love you so much," Effie murmurs. "I'd do anything for you."

"How about telling me what's up with you tonight?" he asks. "You've been all weird on us since that last trip to the bathroom before we left the hotel." 

Effie murmurs "Promise me that you won't tell the children?" 

"I promise, sweetheart. Whatever you say is safe until you say otherwise," Haymitch whispers. "How bad is it?" 

"Very," she whispers, her voice breaking. "That test I took... It came out positive. I checked it on my second to last trip in there, and it had darkened quite a lot."

"What's the bad part?" Haymitch asks, a sinking feeling settling in the pit of his stomach. "Sweetheart..." 

At that, the uncertain and terrified tone of his voice, Effie starts to cry, her soundless sobs shaking the bed. "I wanted to tell you, then I felt something thick and hot, and... I hoped it was just discharge. I sat still, but it got heavier, and when I looked down, the water was scarlet, and I knew that there was no hope. I just put one of those heavy duty pads in my underwear and carried on. I had to ignore the pain. Then when I went again, there were so many little clots, then a small barely forming baby came out. After that, I didn't want to tell you. I didn't want you to suffer with me," she sobs quietly, clinging to him. "The bleeding has eased up now. I'm so sorry, squishy. I know you want a baby. I just wish I could have rescued it."

"It's not your fault, Bug," he murmurs, tears slowly dripping from his eyes and into his ears. "There's nothing you or I could have done."

She cries until she's heaving, her sobs silent and her tears freely flowing. Haymitch tries to keep his crying for when she's asleep, knowing that his tears will only make it worse for her, but he can't keep the tears from flowing as he cuddles her tightly and rubs her back. She starts to make choked noises as she falls asleep, and once she's properly asleep, Haymitch leaves her in their bed, heading for the bathroom. He bunches up his shirt from earlier and stuffs it into his mouth, allowing his grief to escape him in almost silent sobs and flows of tears. After five hours, he just can't cry any more, and he walks back to bed, trying not to disturb his sleeping fiancee. He gets back into bed, just to have her grab him and cling to him, even though she's fast asleep. It takes him hours just to fall asleep, images of what their miscarried child could have been like floating through his head. 

**(  ^  _  ^  )  (  ^  _  ^  )  (  ^  _  ^  )  (  ^  _  ^  )  (  ^  _  ^  )  (  ^  _  ^  )**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And once more, I'm sorry for that. I hope you're not furious with me right now. 
> 
> Just as a note, I have never personally gone through a miscarriage, and what research I have done told me that the way it goes can vary with everyone. I'm not a parent, so if I get things wrong, please correct me. I chose to write it this way, solely to make sure that neither of them suffered hours of not knowing. I know people who have suffered miscarriages, and I don't like to make it seem trivial or funny, because it just _isn't _. I hope I didn't upset anyone.__
> 
> __For those of you who chose not to read this, or read until the exclamation points, the reason Effie was so unusually quiet is that she's suffering from a miscarriage, and hasn't mentioned it to Katniss or Peeta, and only told Haymitch later in the chapter._ _
> 
> __I hope you're not terribly upset, and I'm so sorry for this. Sending hugs and love to you all. Until next time. Cat xxx_ _


	11. Tensions Rise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After being told what was bothering her, Haymitch tries to keep the devastating news away from Katniss and Peeta while trying to provide comfort for Effie, who doesn't want to accept it as reality, and tries (and fails) to avoid the kids asking questions. Meanwhile, the younger adults _know _that there's something wrong, but don't know how to approach it correctly, resulting in tensions flaring between the four adults.__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone, and welcome back. I apologise again for the pain of the last chapter, and sadly, it's not _entirely_ over yet. It's got more laughs in it, and cute moments (thankfully), but as we all know, things don't just miraculously disappear. 
> 
> Now, given that this is something I've written, there's a few warnings again, but nothing involving blood loss this time. So here goes:
> 
>  
> 
> **Vomit,**  
>  Tears,  
> Talk of miscarriages,  
> Talk of periods,  
> Cramping,  
> Discussion of constipation,  
> and talking on and about toilets _(typical)_.  
>  If any of the mentioned stuff disgusts or upsets you, please look for the (!)s in bold font to alert you to skip, and the ( ^ _ ^ ) (also in bold) to alert you to when you should continue to read. 
> 
> All that said and done, I hope you like this, and here's the disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games, its characters, or its world. All rights go to Suzanne Collins, and I am not Suzanne. I just like playing around with her characters.

The next morning, they're painfully awoken at dawn by Willow's loud screech. Effie bolts up, something she would never have done if it hadn't been a baby or child, and gasps, then bolts out of bed, running for the door. "Effie!" Haymitch groans.

"What?" she squeaks, grabbing the door handle. 

"You're still naked," he replies. "Clothes before Willow. You're her grandma, she doesn't need to see you naked."

She grabs her robe and flings it on, running to the source of Willow's cries. Katniss has just dragged herself out of bed when Effie bursts in and scoops Willow up. "There, sweetie, shh... Go back to sleep. Mommy and Daddy were up all night with you. Shh, shh. It's okay now. Shh..." she hums, gently rocking Willow. The baby shuts up and watches the woman rocking her with curiosity. "That's it, beautiful child. Good baby."

"You know that she's ours, right?" Katniss asks, her amusement roughened by sleep.

"I do," Effie says, smiling. "I also know that you've had next to no sleep these past two days since having her, so I decided that I'd do you a favour and soothe her while you sleep on. I'll take the little one to the living room. Have you pumped any milk?"

"I did some about an hour ago for Peeta to feed her with on her next feed, it's in the fridge," Katniss yawns. "We should be up by then."

"Nonsense," Effie says. "I'll feed her the next feed. The one after, you'll be up by."

"You're an angel," Katniss says. "Where would we be without you?"

"Think nothing of it. I'm supposed to be her grandmother, caring for her when you need a rest is my job," Effie says, then walks over to give Katniss a kiss on the forehead. "Sleep some more, dear."

Katniss nods, then hugs Effie gently, and leans down to kiss Willow. "You be good for Grandma, okay?" she murmurs.

Willow just looks mystified, and Effie smiles as Katniss gets back into bed. She takes the baby out to the living area of the train and cuddles her close, picking up a baby board book. She reads the little rhyming story to Willow, smiling at her and playfully wiggling her fingers at her. Afterward, she smells a faint stink, and leans down. She makes a face as she realises that the smell is coming from Willow's diaper, and sighs softly, giving the tiny infant a gentle kiss on her button nose. "Messy baby," she coos, smiling at Willow. The little baby waves her fist around, making Effie giggle. She gets out the baby changing kit and sets Willow down on the mat. She makes quick and efficient work of cleaning Willow up and changing her diaper, as well as wiping her little body over, dressing her in a baby shirt, tights, a pretty pink dress, a sunhat, booties, and a thin cardigan. "There we go, sweetie pie. All dressed up and clean."

Willow coos and lies still as Effie packs up the soiled diaper and baby wipes in a scented plastic bag, then allows her to scoop her up as she puts the bag in the garbage can. Effie's careful as she sits by the sink in the kitchen car and lies Willow on her lap long enough to wash and dry her hands. She's careful to ensure Willow's safety the whole time, and has just cradled her in her arms again when Haymitch remarks "Didn't take you long to take her off her parents, Bug."

"They're exhausted," Effie sighs. "The poor dears were barely responsive to her cries. I decided to step in and help out. Willow's been such a love to me so far. Haven't you, little princess? Yes, you've been a very happy bunny with me. It's actually almost time for her feed, so if you'd be so kind, there's a bottle of milk for her in the fridge. It's a little pink bottle."

Haymitch pulls the bottle out of the fridge and holds it up. "This one?" he asks.

"That's it, yes," Effie replies, smiling. Haymitch strolls over and sits down next to Effie, sneaking his arm around her waist as he hands her the bottle. "Thank you, darling. Now, little munchkin, shall we get you fed? Yes? Milk?"

Willow makes a hopeful sound as Effie pops the lid off the bottle and shakes it a little before putting the rubbery teat to the baby's lips. Willow opens her mouth and accepts the bottle eagerly, making Haymitch chuckle. "This one has her mom's appetite," he chuckles softly.

"A healthy appetite," Effie agrees. "I'm just grateful we'll never have to worry about starving children again. Willow or ours."

"We'll make sure that no kid in our family goes hungry, yeah," Haymitch agrees, the memory of what she'd told him last night flooding back like a knife through the heart. "We'll have to wait and see."

Effie cuddles up to him. "I can't wait to be a mother," she sighs, watching Willow drink the milk. "Aren't you excited to be a father?"

"Yeah, I guess," he says quietly, wondering why she's acting all weirdly. "Eff, about last night-"

"I know," she sighs. "I don't want to think about what happened. I want to pretend like it never happened. I'm not ready to accept it."

He hugs her tightly, burying his face in her neck. "Neither am I, Bug," he murmurs sadly, kissing her neck. "We'll have to accept it at some point."

"I don't think I can," she breathes, not daring to speak any louder for fear of crying. "I can't. Can we please  _not_ talk about this right now? I don't want to be miserable around Willow, or have to explain why we're sad to the children. We can't tell them this, they've only just found joy. Please?"

"Okay. We won't tell the kids," Haymitch murmurs. "We'll have to talk when we get home so that we're safe from them ever finding out."

"Finding out what?" Peeta asks, walking in and rubbing his eyes.

"What we're dressing our bridesmaid and best man in," Effie says smoothly, switching to her  _cheerful air-head_ persona. "I want that to be a surprise for the wedding day."

Amazed at how quickly Effie can change her fronts, Haymitch says "She's got big plans in store for us all. Especially you."

"That I have," Effie says, beaming and completely ignoring Haymitch's slightly ominous tone. Only Haymitch truly notices how the dazzling light of her smile doesn't reach her eyes. "Go get some coffee, Peeta, Willow's nearly done with her milk."

Peeta nods and yawns, then stretches as he walks to the coffee machine. Willow finishes her milk, then Effie smiles and sits her up against her forearm, holding her cheeks gently, and rubs her back until the baby lets out the tiniest little burping sound and coos. "That takes skill," Haymitch comments.

"Not really," Effie says. "It's rather easy. She's so good for me. Aren't you, you sweet little bunny bob?" 

Haymitch smirks at her, then Peeta comes over with his coffee. "Has she been good for you?" he asks sleepily, sipping his coffee.

"She's been a little dream. Hasn't she, Haymitch?" Effie asks, smiling at him.

"Angelic," he replies. Peeta drinks his coffee, looking more alert by the minute, and starts to look longingly at his daughter. Haymitch nudges Effie and asks "Bug, don't you think the boy might want to see  _his_ baby today?"

Effie gasps and nods, getting up immediately to hand Willow to Peeta. "I'm so sorry, dear, I didn't notice that you were done with your coffee. Here she is, fed, clean, and thankfully alive," she says, lying Willow in Peeta's arms. 

Peeta smiles. "I knew you and Haymitch would look after her, it's okay," he chuckles, then kisses Willow's head. "Have you been good for your grandparents?"

Willow coos and kicks her feet around, then Katniss stumbles in. "Hey. Where's the caffeine machine?" she mumbles.

"Where it's been since we got on this hunk of junk," Haymitch says. "Kitchen. And your baby's fine, by the way."

"Good stuff," Katniss mumbles. "Thanks for looking after her."

"Effie looked after her, I was busy checking Effie out," Haymitch replies, smirking slightly at the disgusted groan from Peeta. He rolls his eyes and scoffs "Oh, like you never checked Effie out before she became your surrogate mom."

Effie blushes and says "Haymitch, come to our room, please. I need a private word with you."

**(!)  (!)  (!)  (!)  (!)  (!)**

Haymitch gets up immediately and follows Effie to their room. As soon as the door closes, he hugs her tightly and murmurs "Too far?"

"A little, but that's not why we're here," she murmurs, hugging him back. "You know how they get when we have any physical contact, and right now, I think we both need a hug."

He clutches her and wills himself not to see life from her eyes right now. A quiet sniff comes from somewhere around his chest region, and he asks "Are you crying, you soggy little Bug?"

"A little," she whispers sadly. "It's  _hard_ , Haymitch. I want our baby back."

That makes his breath catch in his throat, and he pets her softly. "I do, too," he murmurs. "If I could bring it back, I would."

Effie sniffs a little harder. "Haymitch, do you think there might be something wrong with me?" she asks, choking a little on her sobs. "I mean, it was inside me, if there's something wrong with me-"

"Sweetheart, there's nothing wrong with you," he murmurs, hating to hear that from her, even though he knows it's a valid concern. "The staff in the Capitol checked you out last year, there's nothing wrong with your little body."

"Then why did I miscarry?" she sobs, not even bothering to hide that she's crying now. "Why did it happen? Is it a punishment from the universe for what I did? Is it the children I reaped? Is it karma coming back to get me?"

"No," Haymitch says firmly. "Effie, it's not you. Don't you  _dare_ blame yourself for this. Lots of women miscarry, and it's not anything they've done, and sometimes, it's not even anything wrong with their bodies. It might not have been time for us to have a baby. I don't know why the baby died, but I do know that it wasn't to do with you at all. The first few weeks are always a risk zone."

His resolve weakens as Effie's knees give out under her, and he lifts her, depositing her on their bed. His own tears start to slide down his cheeks as he watches his Effie curl into a ball from the force of her sobs. "That was our baby, Haymitch... We almost had a child. We could have had our very own small human to love, and I messed up somehow," she chokes, holding her knees to her chest. "What if I can't have a baby, Haymitch? You might be marrying into a life of childlessness. We may never have babies."

"Then we can adopt, or go through surrogacy," he murmurs, trying to remain calm for her despite the hurt and the tears. "If you want children that badly, sweetheart, we can find ways."

Effie sobs "I should find out if I can actually have babies. I don't want to make you marry me just to find out I can't give you what you want from me. You deserve what you want."

Suddenly, he just can't hold back the tears and he wraps his arms around her, dragging her down to the mattress with him, curling around her body, sobbing into her hair. They lie together in a heap, crying on each other for what feels like hours, and eventually, Haymitch chokes out "I only want you, Bug. Kids or not, I want you. Remember that."

Effie sobs, clutching him tightly. "Ditto," she sobs, holding onto him with both her arms and her legs. 

**( ^ _ ^ )  ( ^ _ ^ )  ( ^ _ ^ )  ( ^ _ ^ )  ( ^ _ ^ ) ( ^ _ ^ )**

They take a few minutes to finish crying, clutching onto each other, and as their tears dry out, they try to catch their breath, clinging tightly to each other. A knock on their bedroom door startles them, and Katniss calls in "You two okay in there? You've been gone a while."

"We're fine," Effie replies, forcing her voice to remain steady and chipper. "Just trying to catch a quick nap before lunch. The older we get and all that!"

"Mm," Katniss hums, sounding totally unconvinced.

* * *

Another hour passes, and both Haymitch and Effie feel that they just  _cannot_ cry any more. Effie puts on a soft, black, satin dress, and satin pumps, deciding that she can just claim that she's reverting to her true goth self, done with her bright colours. Haymitch selects a black wool sweater, thick black jeans, and black slippers, thinking to just tell the younger couple that he's trying out Effie's style for once, in a way that'll make him extra warm for her. He follows her out to the dining car for lunch, and both Katniss and Peeta's jaws drop when they see them. "Who died?" Katniss asks, and barely notices the way the older couple flinch.

Effie makes a face, pretending to be offended over their choices of clothing, then says "We haven't decided yet."

Haymitch smirks despite himself, then says "Princess decided she wants to be the Queen of the Damned today, so I figured I'd join in."

Peeta eyes them, remaining unconvinced, and asks "How come you've suddenly decided to go back to wearing all black, then?"

Effie gravitates closer to Haymitch and says "I happen to like it. Black clothes make me look slimmer, and I've been feeling rather pudgy lately."

Katniss lifts an eyebrow as she eyes Effie scornfully. "You've never been  _pudgy_ in your life," she scoffs. 

"Well, I'm a woman, I do bloat sometimes," Effie says. "I used to have a lot of pressure to be slim, and I mean that in many ways. One of which was a corset. We can't all be naturally slender like you."

Haymitch hugs Effie tightly and quietly says "Bug, no. No fighting."

"Who's fighting?" Katniss asks. 

Effie turns her head and buries her face against Haymitch's chest. "I'm not fighting," she murmurs. 

"Good," Haymitch says. "Want to tell the girl what the problem is?"

Effie sighs, then murmurs "I don't like my body very much."

"You sleep naked," Katniss points out. "More than once, we've seen way more of you than we ever needed to."

Haymitch scoffs and asks "Whose fault is  _that_? You two walk into our room while we're sleeping, wake us up, and scare her. You're  _going_ to see a bit more of her if you do that. How is it her fault?"

"She's claiming to dislike her body, yet she sleeps naked," Katniss argues. "I'm not seeing that as dislike."

"She knows  _I_ like her body," Haymitch says. "And she knows I'll never torment her over it. She knows she's safe with me. She doesn't tend to roam around naked at home like I do. She wears concealing clothes, as you can see."

**(!)  (!)  (!)  (!)  (!)  (!)**

Effie makes a soft squeaking sound, then groans "Haymitch... I need some painkillers."

"Why?" he asks worriedly.

"Period cramps," she murmurs quietly, her eyes full of unspoken meaning.

"What?" he asks, horrified. "I thought that those were over?"

"Apparently not," she murmurs, then slowly pads off to their room again.

Peeta asks "What are you two hiding from us here, Haymitch?"

"Nothing," Haymitch says. "She's a woman, she's going to bleed. I'll be a minute, just going to give her painkillers."

He grabs a plate, loads it with sandwiches, then fills a glass with cranberry juice, grabs a few cupcakes, and a box of painkillers before rushing off to his and Effie's room. He walks in to find Effie groaning on their bed, clutching her stomach. "Bug, I thought the miscarrying thing was all over?" he asks worriedly. "Aren't you supposed to be out of the woods right now?"

"I don't know," she groans. "It doesn't quite feel as bad as it did when I lost the baby, but it hurts regardless. Where's the medicine?"

"How bad is it? Like period pains? Or maybe constipation?" he asks, placing the food and drink down on the bedside table and sitting on the bed with her, placing his hand on her stomach gently. 

"It's like a mixture of constipation and mild period pains," she groans. "I'm more suffering from the former than the latter."

"Okay," he says, then kisses her forehead. "Go to the toilet, try to get something out. If nothing comes, we'll know that you're constipated and we can work with it. If something comes and that just leaves you with cramps, we'll treat the cramping. Do you need help getting to the bathroom?"

"Mm hmm," she whimpers, clutching at him. Scared out of his wits for her safety, Haymitch helps her up and half props her on him and half stands her up. She whines softly, doubling up a little. "Will you please put your hand back on my tummy, squishy?"

He nods and does as she asks, guiding her to the bathroom carefully. "Okay, little Bug," he says softly, helping her to the toilet. "Call me in when you're ready."

The next ten minutes are agony for him, and within two of those ten, he picks up Effie's cell and gets on the internet, looking up everything that could be wrong with her, and even considers calling a doctor for her, but just before he can dial the number, she calls out "Haymitch!" and there's tense distress in her voice.

He runs into the bathroom to find her hunched over. "What's wrong?! Bug?" he asks, panicking.

"It's not constipation," she groans. "I just need you here. I feel really, really sick."

"Why?" he asks. "Why are you feeling sick? Bug, I think we need an actual doctor."

"When we get home," she whimpers, gagging a little bit. "Darling, I might have a virus."

He sighs and kisses her. "I hope you're right," he murmurs. "Nothing is allowed to be threatening you."

She grimaces, then forces up a smile. "Don't you fuss. No little pains will take me out. I've survived hell, remember?" she whispers in an attempt to be reassuring.

"Haymitch! Effie!" Katniss calls.

"Bathroom!" Haymitch replies. "Don't come in, I'll come to you!"

"Make sure you tell her  _nothing_ ," Effie whispers. "I don't want them worrying."

"Okay," he murmurs. "Don't panic, Bug, okay? I'll be right back."

She kisses his cheek softly and pats his back. "Go to her, darling," she murmurs.

Haymitch kisses her nose, then gets up, leaving her reluctantly. He gives Katniss a once over and asks "You or the boy dying?" 

"No, but we know something's up with you and Effie," Katniss says, and Haymitch  _knows_ that he isn't getting out of it. "So tell me. Why are you two acting all weird? You've been all odd since we got on this train, and she's getting weirder by the minute."

"Look, kid, we're not discussing this," he says. "Whatever you think's going on, you're probably wrong and seeing drama where there is none."

Katniss puffs up a little, her eyebrows knitting together. "What I think's going on is she's trying to hide the fact that she's pregnant and in there vomiting her guts up, and you're both too awkward to tell us," she says bluntly, glaring.

"Well, you're wrong. She's in there, nauseous as hell, but that's because we're  _travelling_. You know, the  _motion sickness_ she has? She's vomiting her guts up because she can't take the travelling," Haymitch scoffs. "She's not pregnant, and if she was, you two would  _know_ , because neither of us would have been able to contain it. Now, go back to be with your boy and the baby. I've got to go and comfort Effie."

"Fine. I'll pretend like I believe your story," Katniss scoffs. "But don't think I don't know the truth."

Haymitch rolls his eyes and turns on his heel, walking into the bathroom and locking the door. He kneels beside Effie and asks "How are you feeling now, Bug?"

"Still rather icky," she admits quietly. "Less pained now that I've managed to... You know. I'm still cramping, but nowhere near as badly. I read that the cramps from a miscarriage can go on for up to two weeks after the baby's out, though."

Haymitch nods slightly. "Yeah, I saw that," he says quietly. "I'm just glad that the worse pain was just you needing to take a dump."

"Ew," Effie murmurs. "I hate the way that sounds. Can we just agree to use the term  _pooping_ instead?"

He chuckles quietly, then kisses her nose. "Sure, Bug. Now, how are you feeling? Still sick?" he asks.

"Very," she whispers, then mimes closing her eyes to make Haymitch cover his eyes, wipes herself clean, then gets to her feet and closes the toilet lid. She flushes, then washes her hands before sinking to the floor. Five minutes pass and she groans "Nope, nope, it's coming back..."

Haymitch lifts the lid of the toilet in the nick of time. Effie leans over the toilet and vomits violently, gripping the outside of the bowl with all of her strength. Haymitch tugs her hair back and grabs a toilet wipe from the cupboard to wipe the vomit from strands of her hair. He throws the wipes in the waste can, then rubs Effie's back gently. "There, sweetheart, get it up. That's a good girl," he murmurs.

Another torturous five minutes pass, then Effie flops backwards and sighs. "I'm done. I haven't got any sick left," she sighs.

Haymitch closes the toilet lid and flushes the vomit away, then washes and dries his hands before sitting down beside Effie and rubbing her stomach. "Do you still feel sick, Bug?"

"Not really, no," she sighs. "I think I'm done being sick now. I need to brush my teeth, though. I must smell terrible after that."

**( ^ _ ^ )  ( ^ _ ^ )  ( ^ _ ^ )  ( ^ _ ^ )  ( ^ _ ^ )  ( ^ _ ^ )**

"Just your breath," he says. "Otherwise, you smell fine."

She smiles slightly, then gets to her feet, shaking a little. She washes and dries her hands for hygiene's sake, then brushes her teeth. Haymitch stands behind her, holding her body to him. "You're snuggly warm," she murmurs, gazing at his reflection in the mirror.

"Worrying about my Bug does that," he replies, kissing the top of her head. "I'm booking you in at the clinic when we get home."

"Okay," she replies. "After these last three days, I think a visit to a doctor might be the best plan. Or we could ask one to visit us. I don't feel very good about going to a clinic."

"Okay, the doctor can come to you, but you do need a doctor," Haymitch says gruffly, kissing her head to avoid her seeing the tears in his eyes. "I won't lose you too."

Effie wipes her mouth clean with a wipe, then turns in his arms and kisses him gently. "Squishy, don't you worry. I'm not leaving you," she whispers. "Not now, not ever. I will always be with you."

He crushes her body to his, as if that can make the events of the past three days go away. "You'd better be," he murmurs. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay. I hope that wasn't as devastating as the last chapter. I did try to bring in some tenderness (not from the demanding adult-children, they're getting grouchy because they're not getting the answers they want and they're not blind, tenderness isn't on their minds right now!), and I did try to add in some jokes and funny stuff to make things seem a little less bleak. I promise they'll get some joy soon. It won't be dark and gloomy forever, that's just cruelty to Hayffie.
> 
> If you want something happy, I've got a collection of one shots over on Fanfiction net under the same username, and I'm accepting requests for it there and on Twitter (@BlackCatS46), so feel free to check those out and let me know what you want to see. 
> 
> I hope you're all having a good week, and if not, I hope it gets better for you. Much love and happiness to you all. Until next week. Cat xxx


	12. When They Figure It Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At dinner, things seem to get strange with Effie, and Katniss and Peeta are getting closer to figuring out the truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone, and welcome back. This chapter is far lighter than the previous two have been, despite the kind of heavy and sort of hostile start, and I think it may become a little confusing for you, because it did for me, and I know what's coming. With that said, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and that you've all had a good week. 
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games, its characters, or its world. All rights go to Suzanne Collins, and I am not Suzanne. I just like to play around with her characters.

That evening at dinner, both Katniss and Peeta are hostile and sullen, and naturally, Haymitch and Effie pick up on it. It doesn't take much to break either of their patience, and eventually, Haymitch asks "Okay, why are you two being so hostile with us?"

"Why are you keeping secrets?" Katniss fires back moodily. "You're always insisting on transparency. Or does that only apply to us?"

"That applies to us all," Effie says quietly. "It's not that we're trying to keep secrets. Haymitch told you earlier on, Katniss. If it was anything more, we would have told you."

"But it  _is_  something more," Peeta says. "I know you two. When you're lying, you keep shooting each other worried glances, as if you think you'll be found out."

"Look, it's not really something we're ready to share," Haymitch says, giving in a little. Effie shoots him a glare, but he shrugs. "They know that we're not giving them the whole truth, Bug. We can't treat them like they're stupid. So here's how it's going to go. Kids, listen. Yeah, we're not telling you everything, but give us  _some_  privacy. We're not asking for every detail of your lives. We need some boundaries, and if you two clearly weren't up to sharing, we'd leave it be unless it was life-threatening, which this isn't. We'll tell you eventually, when everything's cleared up, but we need time before we can let you in on it. We weren't even going to let on."

"We didn't want to ruin your happiness," Effie says softly. "You've got a beautiful baby, you're still in your first year of marriage, and you're living the dream. Our lives shouldn't affect that. So when we're sure that we're able to give you a full and coherent story, we will."

"Effie, you and Haymitch are  _family_. We didn't just lose our abilities to care about you just because we got married and Willow was born," Katniss says, shifting around uncomfortably. "We're here to help you like you're here to help us, but we can't help if you don't tell us things."

"Look, kid, we appreciate it, but-" Haymitch starts, and Effie shakes her head, chewing hard on her lip. "What?"

"Haymitch. Leave it. They know we're not telling them yet. Can we please change the subject?" she asks softly, gripping her knife and fork hard enough to hurt her hands.

He sighs, but nods. "Okay. Anything else we want to discuss?" he asks.

Despite the annoyed looks between the younger couple, they switch the topic to a new show that's being aired next month. "We're thinking of setting up a weekly night in to watch it," Peeta says. "If you two want to see it, we could all watch together."

"What did you say it's about?" Haymitch asks.

"A group of people living in a house with one computer and one television," Katniss says. "Totally safe, and they're well fed, watered, and given a private area to go to the toilet. The idea is the first of the group to use either of the electronics is sent home, so on and so forth. They're all addicted to technology, and this is meant to be a reality show to break them of the habit."

"That sounds awful," Effie sighs. "Not quite  _Hunger Games_  bad, but still... I understand addiction to technology, but surely it should be a personal choice to break the habit."

"It is," Peeta says. "It's a volunteer only show, and the people sent home are sent home with thirty thousand dollars each."

"I think there should be less of a spectacle made of it," Effie says. "If someone wishes to break a habit, they should try to do it at home, with supportive family and friends. Not on a television show where people are laughing at their efforts and betting on who will win. It's too much like before, and I can't agree with it. If you two deem it acceptable viewing, then by all means, watch it. That goes for you, too, Haymitch. But please don't expect me to be interested."

"Well, Bug, you're still full of surprises," Haymitch remarks, taking a bite of his butternut roast. "Thought you would have loved that."

"I prefer baking shows," Effie says quietly. "Or cooking shows. Or even antiques. But not that. I would have thought you three would oppose it too."

"I do," Haymitch says. "But if the kids want to watch it, they're welcome to. I'm just glad that the participants are voluntarily there, get paid for it, and everyone leaves alive."

Effie nods slightly. "There is that. Reality shows like that are sad, though. Anyway, I do hope you two enjoy it," she says, smiling a little. "I'm glad to see you both enjoying media now that you have full access to it and none of it's painful."

"Wouldn't say that," Katniss chuckles. "Have you seen Plutarch's latest talent show? He should call it a  _talentless_  show, the amount of talentless people who want to be famous go on there. It's a really painful joke. We made it about five minutes in before we switched over to  _Relics_."

"Oh, Bug loves  _Relics_ ," Haymitch chuckles. "The amount of times we watch that in a day..."

"You love it," Effie giggles softly. "It  _is_  fascinating, seeing all of the old things. Why, we saw a very cute little silver box with a glass screen on there with buttons on it and the word  _bush_  in capital letters on it. They called it a television! Imagine that! Having such a thing in your living room! How cute! I didn't know televisions were once boxes like that until I watched  _Relics_. Isn't it funny?"

Haymitch, Katniss, and Peeta all smirk at Effie's sudden burst of enthusiasm, and Peeta quietly says "Hilarious."

"What else have you seen on there?" Katniss asks.

"They had these massive things with shiny discs that they called compact discs and compact disc players," Effie says. "They made  _music_ , according to the show, and they varied in sizes, too! You could get tiny little ones with little earbuds attached to wires that you plugged into it, or slightly bigger ones with those enormous batteries, or ones that you plugged into your boxy television and let  _that_  play your music, or you could get huge ones with externally attached speakers that you could turn up loudly enough to shake your whole street!"

They're all staring at her with a mixture of open amusement and fondness. "Didn't I tell you that she loves that show?" Haymitch chuckles. "She's become a real historical expert."

Effie smiles slightly. "I think it's fascinating to see how far our technology has come, sweetest," she says, blushing a bit. "I do think I get a little carried away with it, though."

"Just a bit," Haymitch chuckles, taking a bite of his fish steak. 

"It's good, though," Peeta says. "It's been a while since you've had any interest in anything that's not one of us three or Willow."

"Well, you four are the most important things in my life, of course you're my primary interests," Effie says, smiling a little. "And let's face it, you all keep me on my toes."

Haymitch reaches out to squeeze Effie's hand. "You'd be bored without us, Bug," he says.

Effie smiles, and Katniss mock-gags. Peeta not so subtly kicks her ankle under the table with a disapproving look, then asks "So, since you two have reverted to the goth lifestyle, what's the plan for the wedding? Flowers, cakes, outfits?"

"Dark purple flowers," Haymitch says. "The red ones were too bloody for a wedding."

Effie beams at him. "As for the cake, we were thinking traditional white with a black liquid filling, just to surprise our guests a little," she says, giving Haymitch a mischievous look. 

"And dress code, well. She's keeping the bridesmaid outfits secret," Haymitch says. "And the tux was always just going to be black and white."

Peeta nods, then asks "What'll your dress look like, Effie?"

Effie blushes. "That won't be anything special," she replies, ducking her head.

"She's making it herself," Haymitch says proudly. "All on her own."

"It'll be a dress," Effie says. "We've all seen them."

That earns her eye rolls from the other three adults, and the train jolts rather hard at that moment. The four of them just manage to prevent everything falling off the table, and out of nowhere, Effie clutches her stomach. "Oh, no. Not again... I hate these trains," she groans. "I'm  _so_  done with holidays out of Twelve."

"What's up?" Katniss asks.

"Travelling," Effie whines. "I'm going to go and lie down for a while, just so that you three don't get all disgusted."

She runs from the room, leaving nothing but a slightly perfumed breeze behind her. "She's really acting weirdly," Peeta says. "Are you  _sure_  she's okay, Haymitch?"

"I'm certain," Haymitch replies wearily. "We've told you before, she's sensitive to travel, it doesn't do her stomach any favours. She'll be fine when she comes back in here."

Effie returns, looking a little bit paler than normal, and wearing a massive hoodie and black sweatpants. "It's all okay now," she says, then plops herself down on the floor, looking extremely happy with herself.

"You weren't sick or anything?" Haymitch asks.

"No," Effie replies happily. "I took one of the pills, and now I'm fine."

"Good," he says, then notices the gigantic hoodie. "Is that the hoodie I wore last night?"

"Yes," she says, beaming and pulling the hood up, then drawing the strings to tighten it around her face. "It's warm, and I'm not."

"Didn't you want a clean one?" he asks, torn between laughter and perplexion at her choices.

She makes a face. "Why would I want something that doesn't smell of you?" she asks, clutching the hoodie. "It smells like you, so I'm keeping it until I need to make it smell of you again."

"Okay,  _that_  was disgusting enough to put me off my food," Katniss groans. "Do you two  _have_  to flirt?"

Haymitch smirks and says "Yeah, we do."

Effie smiles, then gets up and starts digging in the snack box. "Where's the coconut candy gone?" she asks.

More weird stares. "Effie, you hate coconut candies," Peeta reminds her.

"I don't care," Effie says. "Coconuts are where it's at right now, and I'm hungry again."

Haymitch stares at her, totally nonplussed, then asks "Okay, who replaced my Bug with the Bugbot?"

"I'm not a Bugbot," Effie huffs, then plunges her hand right to the bottom the snack box and pulls out a handful of coconut chocolate bars. "Aha! There you are, you sneaky monsters! Thinking you can avoid me? Never!"

"Do those pills induce high effects?" Katniss asks softly.

"Not on normal people," Peeta replies quietly.

"But since this is Effie, we probably shouldn't question the weird-" Haymitch says, then catches sight of Effie piling the coconut candy bars on a plate and grabbing the mayonnaise. "Um, Bug, what are you doing?"

"I need a dip," she says, squirting the mayonnaise beside the candy. "And there we have it!"

"That is the single most disgusting thing I've ever seen on a plate," Katniss says. "And I used to eat wild dogs in a stew."

"It looks delicious," Effie argues, then picks up a candy bar and dips it in mayonnaise. Katniss and Peeta turn their faces away in disgust, praying that she's playing a joke on them, and Haymitch watches with mild fascination and disgust as Effie eagerly downs the mayonnaise-dipped coconut candy. "Mm..."

"Bug, are you okay?" Haymitch asks, kind of repulsed. 

"We did say we think she's pregnant," Katniss mutters, gagging a little. "I thought craving pickles and peppermints was bad..."

"I'm not pregnant," Effie says sadly, then plops back onto the floor. "And I'm allowed to have weird cravings every now and then without carrying a baby."

She munches her way through the chocolate and mayonnaise, a sad look on her face. Haymitch sits beside her, then hugs her tightly. "Are you okay, squishy?" he asks softly, too quietly for Peeta and Katniss to hear.

"I'm fine," she whispers, snuggling into his grip. "Take me to bed, squishy, I'm sleepy again."

Haymitch takes her to their room and gets her ready for bed, then wraps her under the duvet. "Get some sleep, Bug," he murmurs, petting her.

"I want you to know that no matter my weirdness, and I know you think I'm weird and often childish in many ways, I'll always be there for you," she yawns, nestling up to him. "And I'll always be on your wavelength when you need me."

"Thanks, Bug," he murmurs, kissing her forehead. "Have some sleep, sweetheart. You'll be cosy and warm soon."

Within minutes, she's deeply asleep and curled in a ball. Haymitch gives her an hour, then leaves the bed to go and check in with Peeta, Katniss, and Willow. He walks in to hear Katniss murmur "I don't care how much they deny it, all the signs are there. They're both kind of miserable, they're both trying to hide that misery, they're denying any sign of pregnancy at all, and she's acting all hyper like she does when she's sad. We can't say anything directly, but you and I both know that she's had a miscarriage, or maybe lost one of two fraternal twins."

"Well, that might make sense," Peeta whispers. "Pregnancy symptoms can carry on for about two weeks after a miscarriage, right?"

"Mm," Katniss replies.

"For her to have had a miscarriage, she would have needed to be pregnant," Haymitch says firmly.

"How long have you been listening?" Peeta asks, startled.

"Long enough," Haymitch says. "I know you kids mean well, but really, leave it alone. All this is going to get us is an upset Effie, and you know perfectly well what she's like when she gets sad. Do I need to remind you both of how I tried to shut her up at the fair? She stuffs herself with candy of her own accord when she gets sad. We don't need her to get that way again, especially not with Willow around."

"Can't you just tell us the truth?" Katniss demands. "If the situation was reversed, you two would want to know."

"That's because our job is to look after you," Haymitch says. "And neither of you would go and seek help if you weren't forced to. Effie and I do."

"She's asked you to keep quiet, hasn't she?" Katniss challenges.

"She hates having her private business discussed," Haymitch deflects. "But even so, it's not like you're the only people who don't know anything about it. You hate us pushing in when you don't want us around."

"You still do, though," Peeta points out.

"For your own good. You two can't tell me that you'd be perfectly fine without us around. You've been through hell without us around to guide you, and barely made it out alive from most of your lives. You need adults around, simple as that. We've promised that you'll know when we can give you a full and comprehensive story, so quit the speculations and just focus on yourselves," Haymitch says.

"In case it's escaped your notice, we  _are_ adults, and we're capable of looking after ourselves," Katniss huffs hotly. "You're treating us like we're kids! We're just  _expected_ to tell you and Effie  _everything_ , but the minute the tables turn, we're kept out of the loop!"

"Shh, you'll wake her up," Haymitch hisses. "Look, it's not fair to just expect us to blurt out everything when we barely get it ourselves."

"What's there to get?!" Katniss bellows, disturbing Willow. "Your girlfriend's gone off the deep end, and you two are acting all sketchy! Just come right out with it instead of treating us like kids who wouldn't understand!"

"We're not-!" Haymitch starts, and is instantly cut off by Effie's soft yawn. "Bug, I thought you were sleeping."

"I was, then Katniss was yelling and you were gone," she says sleepily. "And for your information, Katniss, we're not treating you like children, although you're certainly acting like a child right now. Honey, I think it's best we just tell them. I do want some peace tonight, after all, and it's only right that we should live by the same transparency rule we hold them to, too."

"You sure?" Haymitch asks, reaching out to grab her hand. "It's not really their business."

"They're family, and they're worried. I don't like that they're being kept out of the loop, and it might stop them bringing it up."

"Fine, but you're sitting down," he says, lifting her up easily. "It always amazes me how tiny you are."

"You're just freakishly strong," she counters, kissing his head. "I like it up here, you know. I get to be the one leaning down to kiss you for a change."

He chuckles softly, then sits down with her on his lap. "Okay, Bug. I'll pick you up more often," he says, hugging her tiny body close to him.

She makes a happy little squeaking sound, then allows him to get comfortable before making herself comfortable, and drags his hand onto her stomach. "Warm," she murmurs, smiling a little.

He grins, then Katniss asks "Are you telling us what we already know or what?"

Peeta hisses "We're getting our answers, Katniss, we need to let them give their answers in their own time."

Both Haymitch and Effie share an amazed look at that. "We don't want you to behave any differently toward us after we've told you. Is that clear?" Effie asks, giving them the piercing stare down that she's only perfected over the years.

"Uh huh," Katniss says, rolling her eyes.

"Okay," Peeta says, a little less irritable than Katniss.

"Good," Haymitch says. "Hold all questions until the end of the story, okay?"

**(!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!)**

The younger two nod, and Effie breathes in slowly, her arm around Haymitch's shoulders. "Do you remember when we were about to leave the hotel?" she asks softly. The younger couple nod slightly. "Excellent. I'd just found out that we were expecting, and I'd been thinking about telling Haymitch. And just before we left, after you three had been to the toilet and Willow had been changed, I nipped to the bathroom to ensure that I wouldn't need to go again, and out of nowhere, I started to feel little trickles that were nothing like what I'd expected. I prayed against all prayers that it wasn't what I thought it was. Well, I don't think I need to tell you that it was, and there was a lot of blood. It progressed quite rapidly, and there was a lot of blood in not a very large space of time."

"Most miscarriages take hours," Katniss says. "There's not a lot of credibility here, Effie."

"As you said,  _most_ miscarriages take hours," Effie says, getting it out in a rush. "This did not. I don't know why it didn't take as long as the one I had before we met you did, but it didn't, and the actual miscarriage was quick. The little one was out rather quickly, too, and I can only hope it didn't suffer for very long. I told Haymitch last night. The reason we didn't immediately tell you is that we just weren't, and  _aren't_ , ready to accept it as truth. You two won't feel it as brutally as we do, and I really hope you never do, but I hope you understand why we weren't saying anything."

"In future, try not to harass people about things when they say no," Haymitch says, feeling Effie's tension and gently rubbing her stomach until she relaxes on him. He gently kisses her jaw, and briefly shuts his eyes as he feels how hard she's clenching it. He murmurs "It's going to be okay, Bug."

"Do you two have any questions now?" Effie asks softly, her voice wobbling a little.

"Are you going to see a doctor?" Peeta asks quietly. "All that blood loss can't be safe."

"She's seeing a doctor when we get back," Haymitch says, shifting Effie around so that she can hide her face and cry for a while, knowing he can keep from crying until they're out of the kids' sight and earshot. 

"What did she mean by  _the one she had before you met us?"_ Katniss asks.

"She was dating some famous Capitol guy, got pregnant, he dumped her immediately, and the stress of having to find a new house and get all of her stuff there caused a miscarriage," he replies, petting Effie gently. "Sorry, Bug."

"It's fine," she sniffs. "It was a while ago."

"Do you think you might have been having fraternal twins?" Katniss asks softly.

"I doubt it," Effie replies quietly. "Usually, with twins, fraternal or identical, the loss of one will cause the loss of the other."

"Not always, though," Katniss says. 

"We can hope that there was another baby in there, but it's unlikely," Haymitch says. "I looked it up when she wasn't feeling great earlier."

"Are you two going to be okay?" Peeta asks. "When you get home, I mean. Losing a baby can strain on a relationship."

"We'll be fine," Haymitch replies, deciding to cover Effie's ears up so that she can be at least partially protected from the conversation. "We've got this far, and she's not really blaming either of us."

"What about you? Are you blaming anyone?" Katniss asks.

"No," Haymitch replies. "Who could I blame, really? It's not her fault, and I couldn't do anything about it before I knew. Probably just wasn't meant to happen yet."

Peeta says "If you two need anyone to talk to, we're always around."

"We know that, kid," Haymitch says, giving him a small smile of gratitude. "After we've got her seen to and processed it, we might end up taking you up on that."

**( ^ _ ^ )  ( ^ _ ^ )  ( ^ _ ^ )  ( ^ _ ^ )  ( ^ _ ^ )  ( ^ _ ^ )**

Willow screams from her parents' bedroom, and Katniss sighs. "See, when you two have a baby, you can say goodbye to any peace you have now. They're demanding little screamers," she says, getting up.

She leaves, bringing Willow back. Willow won't stop screaming, and Peeta asks "What's up with her?"

"She's clean, dry, and she was only fed an hour ago, so it's unlikely to be food," Katniss says. "Take her, see if she'll shut up for you."

Peeta takes his daughter, only to be met with louder screaming. This goes on for five minutes, while Peeta tries to quieten her in vain. "Effie, do you want to try?" Peeta asks desperately.

Effie nods and shifts off Haymitch's lap to take Willow. "Come here, beautiful girl," she hums, her face pink with the exertion from sobbing. Willow doesn't quieten down until Effie's curled next to Haymitch, and he's in Willow's line of sight. She whimpers softly, and Effie asks "Do you want your Grandpa Haymitch, darling?"

"I can't hold her, Bug," Haymitch murmurs.

"Of course you can," Effie says softly. "She only wants you. Look at her, tell me you don't want to cuddle this beautiful child."

He sighs softly, then reaches to stroke Willow's cheek. "I don't trust myself with her, Bug," he murmurs. "She's too tiny for me."

"Don't talk daft," she says, then positions his arms. "Hold your arms like that."

She lies Willow down in Haymitch's arms and smiles as Willow's whimpers stop. Haymitch immediately shifts his grip to secure Willow further. "See?" Peeta chuckles. "You're doing great."

"If I drop her, you're not allowed to get mad," Haymitch says. "Blame the Bug, she's the one who made me hold her."

"You're not going to drop her," Effie whispers, a warm smile curving her lips. "Look at how happy she is with you, darling."

Haymitch smirks, watching Willow yawn and blink up at him. "She looks like one of those morphs between the kids," Haymitch chuckles softly. "Look at her nose, then at her eyes."

"I completely agree," Effie giggles. "She's the perfect mixture. I hope you know that we're her slaves now."

"Yeah, I know, and I really don't care," Haymitch says, watching Willow rub her eyes sleepily.

Katniss murmurs, just loudly enough for everyone to hear, "We're going to have a spoiled daughter, Peeta. These two are too in love with her now."

"Well, we're going to let them get her to sleep, then we're going to have to take her to bed," Peeta replies. "And when they have one, we can do the same to them."

Within thirty minutes, Willow falls asleep, comfortably nestled up to Haymitch, and Effie isn't that far behind. "I think you two should take your small female," Haymitch says. "Mine requires both hands to carry around."

Peeta smirks and takes Willow, then says "Thanks for getting her to sleep."

"No problem," Haymitch says. "She's still not been dropped, so we can call it a success."

He scoops Effie up as soon as Peeta's got Willow securely in his arms, smirking as Effie curls up close to him. "You'd better not drop Effie," Katniss chuckles. "A half-grown human is somewhat heavier than a newborn one."

"Not by much," Haymitch chuckles.

"I'm fully grown," Effie mumbles.

"You're barely half-grown, small stuff," he scoffs. "You're the size of an eleven year old."

"Only height wise," she yawns. "And you're freakishly tall. Everyone looks tiny to you."

Haymitch laughs properly and says "Yeah, but you're the tiniest midget I've ever seen."

"I'm  _average_ and you know it," Effie grumbles, then shuts her eyes. "I'm going to sleep."

She's asleep within a minute, and Haymitch smirks. "Night, kids," he says quietly, carrying his sleeping Effie back to their room.

Katniss says "If they could, they'd have fifteen kids by now, and another one on the way."

"I think they value their sleep," Peeta chuckles. "But they'd definitely have at least one by now."

"We should follow their lead before Willow wakes up," Katniss sighs. "I do want a couple of hours sleep before the screaming starts again."

Peeta nods and offers her a hand. "Come on, then," he says, smiling a little.

Katniss groans, but gets up anyway, walking with him to their room, closing doors softly behind them so as not to disturb Willow. As soon as they're in their room, Peeta lies Willow down with a kiss on her forehead, then looks expectantly at Katniss. She rolls her eyes playfully, then kisses Willow's nose and backs away, flopping onto the bed. "I'm going to sleep, goodnight," she whispers, closing her eyes.

Peeta chuckles and lies down with her, only to be jolted back up ten minutes later by Willow's screams. "Unbelievable," he mutters, accepting that he'll probably never get a full night of sleep again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed that. It's going to focus less on children in the next chapter or so, so be prepared for Hayffie being... Well _Hayffie_. As always, if you have any thoughts, constructive criticism, ideas for outtakes you'd like to see, or mistakes I've made that need correction, please let me know in the comments below.
> 
> I hope you've all had a good week, and if not, I'm sorry. I'm sending everyone virtual hugs. I hope this next week treats you right. Love and happiness to you all. Until next time. Cat xxx


	13. Home in Twelve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The train has pulled back into District Twelve, and once back at home, Haymitch and Effie have a cleaning challenge, Haymitch books Effie in at the clinic, and she decides she wants another strange combination of food.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone. Well, here comes another chapter, and I'm absolutely exhausted after proofreading and editing, but if you spot any errors, then please let me know. I'm exhausted, these past two weeks have been so tiring, and I literally forgot it was Tuesday, and my phone was the one to remind me. Anyway, enough of me, enjoy xxx
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games, its characters, or its world. All rights go to Suzanne Collins, and I am not Suzanne. I just like playing around with her characters

The rocking under the train ceases, and Haymitch bolts awake, reaching for a knife that's no longer there to defend himself and Effie from the imaginary threat. He looks to his side to see Effie curled on her side, fast asleep, looking disgusted. "Hand me that baby," she growls. "I won't let you hurt him."

"What baby?" Haymitch asks.

"Mine," Effie growls. "I'll count to three. If you don't give him back to me, I'll take him and force you to eat your own feets. One."

"I'm going to go get the kids up," Haymitch says, kissing her forehead.

"Two. Hand him over to keep your feet where they are," Effie grumbles.

Haymitch gets up and says "I'm going to check on the kids, Bug."

"You do that," she mumbles. "Three! Prepare to eat your feet!"

Smirking at her sleep talking, he leaves Effie to the dream fight she's currently having. He strolls across the hall to where Katniss, Peeta, and Willow are, hearing Peeta grumbling and Katniss snapping at him. He opens the door to see the two younger adults looking frazzled, and Wilow peacefully cooing. "Hey, kids, just letting you know that we've pulled in at the station," he says.

Katniss yells "We know that, you dolt!"

He smirks at her and says "Wow, you look like a zombie raccoon, sweetheart."

"You look like you want a punch," Katniss snarls.

"Did Willow keep you up all night?" Haymitch asks nonchalantly, kind of enjoying seeing Katniss riled up.

"If you value how sweet and pretty your Effie is, do her a favour and don't let her breed, babies are hell bunnies," Katniss grumbles.

"Willow's been a nuisance all night. Most of the night, she just wanted attention," Peeta sighs, stretching.

"Want me to take her off your hands?" Haymitch asks. "I'll go wake Effie up with her, put her in a good mood, and you two get a chance to shower off your bad moods."

"What time is it?" Peeta asks. 

"Seven," Haymitch replies. "Pass me the little one, and I'll go wake the Bug."

Peeta hands Willow over without a second thought. "Be gentle wth her," Peeta sighs, sinking back onto the bed.

"You can have her for as long as you like," Katniss sighs, flopping onto the bed. "She's yours now, bye."

Haymitch laughs at her. "You love her really," he chuckles, then carries Willow off to his and Effie's room, then gets back into bed and pokes Effie. "Bug, wake up, I brought you someone."

"Not now, Haymitch, busy," Effie grumbles sleepily. "I'm Effie Trinket, member of the Marshmallow Protection Society, and I'm here to order the immediate release of these captive marshmallows!"

Haymitch holds Willow a little tighter, protecting her as he laughs even harder. "Bug, wake up!" he splutters.

"Not yet! Listen to me, those marshmallows are an endangered species! I don't  _care_ how delicious they are, they have  _rights_! They have families! Now give them to me so that I can release them back into the wild, where they belong!" she bellows, loudly enough to wake herself up. "Oh!"

"Morning, Miss Trinket, of the Marshmallow Protection Society," Haymitch chokes. "How's the legal defense of marshmallows going?"

Effie sighs "Badly. I rescued a baby, and now the marshmallows are endangered."

"That sounds bad," Haymitch says, attempting to be serious. "You must have your work cut out for you, sweetheart. Marshmallows are extremely difficult to protect."

"I know. It's exhausting work. I don't know how people can torture innocent marshmallows, especially after throwing such a tantrum over the gummy worms and jelly babies. Anyway, how's my squish?" she asks, not even bothering to hide her amusement.

"I'm fine," he chuckles, then shows Willow off. "I brought Willow here for you."

She sits up, then looks at Willow. "Good morning, baby girl," she coos. "How's my precious little grandbaby doing today?"

Willow coos and kicks her feet about. "You want her?" Haymitch asks.

"Mm, just a minute. I need to use the toilet first," Effie replies, then pecks his lips. "One minute."

She rushes to the bathroom, and Haymitch hears the tap running. It doesn't really mask the heaving sound, nor the flush. A few minutes later, he hears her brushing her teeth, then silence, then the toilet flushes, followed by the sound of her washing her hands. The tap turns off, and Effie strolls out of the bathroom and back to bed, wearing a black silk bathrobe. She gets under the duvet and takes Willow carefully. "You feeling all right, Bug?" Haymitch asks, waiting until Willow's settled in Effie's arms to slide his hand onto Effie's stomach.

"Mm, peachy," she hums, snuggling up to him. "How long have you been up?"

"About fifteen minutes," he says. "Long enough. You look paler than normal, are you sure you're okay?"

"I think I ate something that disagrees with me," she says softly. "You know how I get."

"I'm going to call a doctor," he says. "You'll have to go to the clinic. I don't like this sickness thing, especially not so soon."

"Can't we ask a doctor to the house?" she asks, her tone verging on a whine.

"No, Bug," he sighs. "I think we should have you close to the necessary machinery, just to be safe."

"Honey, I don't like the clinic," she whines. "Please don't make me go there."

"If it was possible to just have you checked at home, I'd say that you didn't have to, but I really think it's better if you get checked out at the clinic," he sighs, preparing himself for a loud and long battle with her. "It's not just sickness, Bug, you know that as well as I do. You might have something seriously wrong with you, and it's not you on your own any more. You have the kids, you have Willow, you have me. You're literally a part of all of us."

"I know that, darling, but I really  _hate_ the clinic," she sighs, averting her gaze.

"Just go this once, we'll get answers, then you come home and for the rest of time, doctors only come to us," he offers.

"Fine, but I won't be happy about it," she grumbles. "Prepare for grumbling and underhanded comments."

"I'd expect nothing less when something doesn't go the Effie way," he replies, then kisses her nose. "You know I wouldn't have you go there if it wasn't a matter of your safety, don't you?"

"I know that," she huffs. "I'm just not happy about having no choice in the matter."

"You do have a choice," he says. "But at least at the clinic, things will be done a lot quicker."

She pouts and grumbles "I hate it when you're right."

He strokes her hair and says "I know, Bug. I swear I'll try not to be right again."

"No, you need to be right, you can't trust me to make the smart choices!" she exclaims, all grouchiness forgotten. "You're the clever one of the two of us! I'm not ready to be the right one! Promise me you'll try to be right  _more_!"

He shakes his head, laughing at her. "Okay, okay," he chuckles softly. "I'll try to be right more so that you have reasons to hate me."

"That's better," she says approvingly. "Change  _hate_ to  _love,_ then it's perfect."

"Fine, you'll have reasons to love me," he corrects, chuckling under his breath.

"Perfect. Now I can be mad at you again," she says happily.

"You're the weirdest little thing," he tells her. "I'm going to get dressed, then I'll take Willow while you get dressed."

"Okay," she says. "Have fun, stay perfect, and I'm mad at you."

He smirks and pets her. "Okay, Bug," he says, cupping and stroking her cheek before he walks off, grabs his clothes and strolls into the bathroom.

Effie looks at Willow and murmurs "Your grandpa is the smartest man in the world. He's usually always right, and you'll know that one day. He's always been a wonderful man, and he doesn't see it, so I need you to make him see sense. Okay? Will you be my little partner in crime?" Willow coos happily and grabs Effie's finger, squeezing it hard, then pulls it up to her face. The little baby plays happily with Effie's fingers, and Effie smiles softly. "I really love you, Willow Mellark. You're the most amazing granddaughter anyone could ever ask for. You make this world a much nicer place to be."

Haymitch returns five minutes later, watching Effie playing with Willow for another few minutes, then says "Bug, your turn."

Effie sighs, then gets up reluctantly, cuddling Willow's tiny body close. "She's agreed to be my partner in crime," she says proudly. "Now, beautiful baby, go to Grandpa while Grandma gets dressed."

Willow makes a soft noise as she's transferred from Effie's arms to Haymitch's, then curls close to Haymitch. Effie grabs some clean clothes and strolls to the bathroom to change. She gets washed and dressed, then brushes her teeth. She combs her hair, then ties it up, knowing perfectly well that Willow will try to scalp her. She walks back out with her bag full of their dirty laundry, only to be met with Haymitch's grin. "Hey, beautiful," he says.

"What have you done?" she asks immediately.

"Willow might have done a little bit of throw up on our bed," he tells her quietly.

"Oh, dear," Effie sighs. "Poor baby. That's no fun. I'll clean it up now."

She sets about cleaning the baby sick off the bed, humming quietly and pretending not to notice the feeling of Haymitch staring at her bottom, as much as she enjoys it.

* * *

Back in their own house, Haymitch dumps all of their bags in the living room, and Effie says "I still think you should have let me carry some of those."

He hugs her tightly and kisses her neck. "Not a chance, beautiful," he tells her quietly. "No more strain on your pretty body."

"Not even the good kind?" she asks quietly, smiling wickedly at him.

"You still get that, just not loads of it in one go," he says, sliding his hand down her back.

She smiles and kisses him tenderly. "Then maybe we should consider finding our bed," she purrs. "I want to dust around a bit first, I don't really like being dusty."

He laughs and kisses her back, then says "We'll make a game of it. If I finish cleaning one room, I choose what we have for dinner. You finish one room, you choose."

"Oh, I like a challenge!" she giggles. "Question is, how do we know who wins?"

"The one who finishes first has to be down here, on the sofa, in just their underwear," he says, groping her gently.

"I don't know if my body's ready for sex," she whispers. "I'm definitely in the mood, but I don't know if that hole is..."

"Okay," he says. "I'm not suggesting we do anything, I'm just saying we tempt the other."

"That I can do," she giggles. "You ready to see what underwear I picked?"

"Absolutely," he chuckles, kissing her nose. "Go."

She rushes to their room, her supplies in hand, and sets to work. Haymitch smirks and sets to scrubbing their living room and kitchen, determined to impress her. He makes a quick but efficient job of it, then calls the doctor, booking Effie in at the clinic for three days before their wedding, then he returns to his cleaning in the kitchen when he hears Effie's eager little footsteps pattering down the stairs. He smirks as he hears her clothes rustling and softly dropping onto the ground, then her sigh as she lies on the sofa. He walks in after he's finished cleaning the kitchen and she says "I win."

"Well, beautiful, consider me defeated," he chuckles, staring hungrily at her. "What do you want for dinner?"

"I'm not bothered, I just wanted to win so that you could see this new underwear I chose," she says, stretching. It's a black lace bra, and the lace is shaped into skulls, with matching lace panties. "What do you think? Cute?"

"Sexy," he tells her, staring. "Go on, what do you want for dinner? You won, after all."

"I'm not that bothered, I'll eat anything," she says. "Even coconut candy in mayonnaise."

"Yeah, that was disgusting," he says, shuddering at the memory.

"It was, now that I look back," she sighs. "Your pick will be nicer than mine, I'm kind of in the mood for bacon wrapped carrot cake."

"How about we order in a takeout and have a carrot cake for dessert?" he asks.

"Can I put bacon on the cake?" she asks.

"If you want to," he says, cringing a little. "Oh, and I booked you in at the clinic on the twelfth of July."

"Oh, that's three days before our wedding!" she exclaims, then softens a little. "You know I love you, right?"

"Yeah," he says, giving her a funny look. "Why?"

Effie laughs softly and gets up, giving him a hug. "You're choosing what we have for dinner," she whispers. "I'm not very good with decision making. I'm also going to put a dress on."

"You do that, Bug," Haymitch chuckles, kissing her nose. He helps her up, then asks "What do you want from the takeout place?"

"Surprise me," she replies, hugging him briefly. "Stay perfect."

She walks out, leaving Haymitch to call for their dinner, and strolls upstairs. Once in their room, she picks out a tight black dress and examines her body. She takes off her bra, examining her nearly naked body critically. She gently pokes her breasts and winces, then moves her hands down to her lower abdomen. She studies the shape and how her hands move when she applies a little pressure, then shakes her head. "Princess, you okay up there?" Haymitch calls.

"I'm fine!" she calls back. "Just picking a dress to wear!"

"All right, do you want a drink?" he asks.

"Just some water, please," she replies, still studying her body. She can hear him moving around downstairs, and puts on a soft bra, then pulls her tights and dress on, then heads downstairs to get her water, her mind whirling with possibilities.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there's chapter 13. I hope that was satisfactory for you. If you have any ideas, theories, opinions, or constructive criticisms, drop me a comment, let me know.
> 
> How has your week been? If you want a chat, check my profile for my links, or put it in a comment and we can have a chat.
> 
> Much love and happiness to you all. Until next time. Cat xxx


	14. The Possibility Occurs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been nearly a week since Haymitch, Effie, Peeta, Katniss, and baby Willow returned home, and nobody seems to want to address the elephant in the room when Effie continues to behave strangely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone, and welcome back. I'm sure that you want something other than just Hayffie genetic cocktails, and you'll be pleased to know that we're getting some more Hayffie here, and only a smidge of baby talk. (You'll see.) This is slightly shorter than usual, but I think the next few chapters will more than make up for it. Now, I hope you're all ready for some more of this story, and that you've all had a great week.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games, its characters, or its world. All rights go to Suzanne Collins, and I am not Suzanne. I just like playing around with her characters.

Effie's staring in the mirror with a critical eye again for the millionth time in five days. "Effie, for Panem's sake, you know you're gorgeous," Haymitch groans, clearly not seeing the point of her continuous staring. "It won't fade away if you're not staring at it, you know. Come on, come downstairs and actually eat something."

"Haymitch, do I look a little chubbier?" she asks abruptly.

He studies her body, then shrugs. "I don't see any difference. I still want to throw you on the bed and have my way with you," he says nonchalantly. "But then, it's you. I don't really care how you look, you're sexy to me."

She blushes a bit more, then says "I noticed that I've gained a little pudginess around my waistline, and I was wondering if I was the only one seeing it."

"Yeah, you are," he tells her. 

"I should ask your opinion on the size of my breasts, you spend enough time looking at them," she chuckles, then gestures to her breasts. "Do you think these have got bigger, or am I just hopeful?"

"Well, they  _look_ bigger, but if you want a full evaluation, Bug, I'd have to feel them," he tells her, a smirk playing on his lips, and he slowly advances on her. "Do you want a full evaluation?"

Effie laughs properly and winds her arms around his neck. "I don't usually allow grabby hands on me without at least a kiss," she purrs. "Will you kiss me first, or am I to make an exception?"

He kisses her, hard enough to take her breath away, but definitely not hard enough to bruise her lips. The kiss grows heated, and Haymitch slides his hands down Effie's waist gently as her hands travel up to lock in his hair. As his hands grasp her bottom, she pulls away. "What's up?" Haymitch asks huskily, desire clear on his face.

"I was expecting to feel a full evaluation of the size of my breasts," she murmurs, smiling a bit. "This works well, too."

He smirks and lifts his hands a little, then lifts her shirt up a little, dropping to his knees. "I'm going to need to get really close up, Bug," he tells her softly, pushing her shirt up to expose her lower stomach. He presses a gentle kiss on her soft skin, and pushes her shirt up more, kissing each bit of skin as he exposes it. Effie, ever impatient, tugs her shirt off, and pulls her bra off. "Oh, someone's impatient."

"Yes, I am," she huffs. "I want you."

"Wow, sweetheart," he mutters, kissing his way up her stomach. He kisses his way to her chest, then peppers kisses all over her breasts. "Mm..."

She gasps softly at the warmth of his breath on her skin, and her back arches toward him as he kisses and licks her skin. "Haymitch," she breathes, tangling her fingers in his hair.

"Slow down, Bug, I've not even had a chance to get started," he chuckles, bringing his hands slowly up her front. 

Just as his hands connect with her breasts, their bedroom door slams open, and a very irritable Katniss stands in the doorway, glaring at them. "Really?!" she demands. "You two are like rabbits! We've got lunch waiting for you, and when I come up, I find you having sex?!"

"We're not having sex!" Effie squeaks.

"You just ruined it," Haymitch adds bitterly. "And this is our room! There's no law saying a man can't make love to his woman in the privacy of their own room, girl!"

"There's a rule against wasting food," Katniss grumbles. "And your granddaughter has kept me up all night, so if you don't want me to leave her with you for a week, you'll get dressed and come for your food."

"I swear the interrupted sex was meant to come  _after_ we have a baby," Haymitch grumbles, getting up and groaning as his knees click painfully. "Later, Bug?"

"Yes," Effie agrees eagerly. "I'm  _determined_ to have you again. If it wasn't for the fact that there's food, I might have just given up and carried on anyway. One whole week without sex is torture when you're so-"

"Don't you  _dare_ finish that sentence," Katniss groans. "I'll vomit if you do."

Effie pouts, then stretches up on her toes to whisper the rest of her sentence into Haymitch's ear. Haymitch chuckles and kisses her. "Put a top on, Bug," he chuckles, kissing her neck.

"Mm... Do I need a bra?" she asks softly, nuzzling at his neck.

"There's no point," he murmurs. "It'll only come off anyway."

"Ew!" Katniss groans. "Do you want to hear Peeta and me sex talking each other?!"

"Not really," Haymitch says. "But then, we're not standing in your room while he's trying to cop a feel of you, so we're not risking listening in. I'm starting to get the feeling that you and the boy get turned on by this stuff, given how many times you've walked in and  _stayed_ in while we've been talking."

"That's true," Effie says, as if she's just being hit by the revelation. "Katniss, do you and Peeta have some sort of fetish here?"

"Hell no," Katniss groans, gagging realistically enough that Effie lunges for the bucket they keep under their bed. "That's the most disturbing thing you two have ever come out with, and you've come out with a lot."

"Then go and wait with the boy and your baby while Princess and I finish up in here," Haymitch fires at her, immediately moving toward Effie.

"Five minutes, or I'm dumping the baby on you," Katniss threatens, fleeing the house.

Haymitch chuckles, then says "Five minutes... We can do heaps in five minutes."

"How about we wait? I have plans for you," Effie murmurs and kisses him. "I'll avoid a bra, you go get rid of the boxers. You won't need them."

"And to think, when you moved here, you were all cute and prissy," he chuckles, kissing her back before he walks off.

"I like to think that I'm still cute!" she calls after him, laughter in her tone. She studies herself again before pulling a black, frilly, button up blouse on, then sits on the bed, contemplating what could be going on with her body. Haymitch comes back in, and she decides to seize the chance before she loses her nerve. "Um, Haymitch, I have something I want to talk to you about."

"What's that?" he asks, approaching her cautiously.

"Well, it's something Katniss said when we told her about what happened," she says. "About having fraternal twins and miscarrying one."

"Yeah?" Haymitch asks slowly. "Are you trying to tell me that you think you might be in that minority of women carrying fraternal twins and only miscarrying one?"

"I think so," she says slowly. "I also think my last period came despite the baby, or  _babies_. I only think that because I caught sight of myself in the bathroom mirror when I was getting dressed, and I look weird. I know my body a little better than you do, you know, what with living in it and all, and I think I look a little bit different."

He studies her, then shrugs. "It's possible that you had a period while pregnant," he says slowly. "But I don't know about there being two babies. We'll have to get answers. We have a little over a week, it was their first available appointment. You'd actually have to be in the middle of a crisis to be checked out sooner."

"I know the procedure," she says, then looks down at her stomach with a judging look on her face. "I don't know, Haymitch. I don't feel empty like I did last time. I feel hollow emotionally, but physically, I don't feel quite as empty as I should. I still feel like there might be a small being in there. It might be me being hopeful, but I think there might be a baby still alive in there."

"We can hope," he says, then kneels beside her and gently kisses her lips. "I hope you're right."

"So do I," she murmurs. "Now, a bacon-wrapped carrot cake sounds like paradise to me."

"Your weird cravings definitely suggest that you're still pregnant," he chuckles and kisses her. "I really hope you are, because I'm going to get really worried if you're not."

Effie smiles slightly and whispers "I really hope this means a baby. It could. I hope she was right."

* * *

At lunch, Katniss and Peeta seem to be determined to put the older couple off their food. It starts with just them playing with each other's feet under the table, then starting to give each other flirtatious looks over the table. They brush against each other in  _accidental touching incidents_ , and that's when Haymitch and Effie share an awkward look. To their credit, they say nothing, trying their best to ignore the display. Eventually, after a not at all subtle grab of Peeta's rear end from Katniss, Effie asks "Do you have chocolate sauce?"

"In the cupboard," Katniss says, then eyes Effie's seafood sandwich. "Why?"

"For my sandwich," Effie says, getting up to get chocolate sauce out of the cupboard.

Katniss and Peeta both stare at her, then look to Haymitch questioningly, only to get a very confused shrug from him in response. When Effie comes back to the table, he asks "Bug, do you really think chocolate will taste good on seafood?"

"Absolutely not," Effie replies, squirting chocolate sauce onto her food. "But that's what I want right now, so chocolate on seafood is what I'm having."

"I swear you wake up thinking  _how much weirder can I be today_ , sweetheart," Haymitch scoffs. "First it's your bacon-wrapped carrot cake, now this. Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm about to start charging people who ask me that," she huffs, then picks up her sandwich. Within seconds, she's devoured it, and a satisfied smile spreads across her face. "Now I'm a happy squishy."

"It's no wonder you always feel sick," Peeta says. "Eating that can't be good for you."

"It's no different to having a chocolate bar after eating a sandwich," she argues. "Or having a carrot cake after bacon."

None of them can find a better argument than  _you don't usually eat both together_ , so they remain quiet. Peeta breaks the silence by asking "Did you catch  _Relics_ last night? The new episode?"

Effie smiles a bit and Haymitch says "She's got alarms all around the house to alert us when there's a new episode of  _Relics_ airing. What was it that caught your eye last night, Bug? That blue thing."

"Oh! That's an old-fashioned baby bouncer. It's beautiful, they had a special unboxing for it and everything," she sighs dreamily. "I loved it. What they did with it, they put the baby in it and strapped it in, then it bounced mechanically, and gently enough to get the baby to sleep. It actually said on the box that it was for little boys, so that must have been made before the makers said everything had to be for both sexes. I would have loved two of those. One pink, and one blue. Just in case we have a boy and a girl at any point."

"You seem to be kind of attracted to baby things lately," Katniss remarks. "Is that you being obsessed with Willow, or you being broody?"

"A little of both," Effie says, shrugging. "Baby things are cute, though. I could see Willow in one of those old bouncers."

"You're not going to get her a new bouncer, Bug, she's already spoiled rotten by the four of us," Haymitch chuckles, gently stroking Effie's arm.

"She's my grandbaby, so I'm spoiling her," Effie insists. "It's my job, after all. Grandma spoils Baby, Grandpa spoils Baby, and parents deal with their child constantly getting things from us because we're soft on the cute one."

"Please have your own so that ours isn't a spoiled brat," Katniss says, horrified.

"If you didn't interrupt us, I would have had her in Happy Land by now," Haymitch says. "And we'd probably have made a baby or two while we were at it."

"Oh, come on!" Peeta and Katniss yell, disgusted. 

Effie ducks her head, smirking, then half-heartedly rebukes "Honey, come on, they don't like hearing about us and our frequent, fun trips to Happy Land."

Haymitch has to hide his laughter behind his hair, and Effie gives the younger couple a sweet smile. "You two are disgusting," Peeta complains.

"We're not the ones who've been making moves on each other this whole time," Haymitch says defensively. "She asked us to have a baby, I told her why we can't. Because neither of you know how boundaries work."

"We do, but you two make talking to you extremely difficult if we don't actually walk in and try to communicate with you," Katniss huffs. "You're literally always joined at the junk."

"Not always," Effie says softly, her voice turning tearful. "Look, if it makes you feel any better, we'll lock our house up so that you have to knock and alert us to your presence, and we'll stop flirting in front of you as long as you treat us respectfully. We're still  _people_ , after all. We do have feelings, and we don't want to lose your friendship over this."

"Are you really crying over this?" Katniss asks, amazed. "Effie, are you really okay? This isn't like you at all."

Effie sniffs hard, then looks away, blushing. "I'm sorry," she whispers. "I just don't want to cause a real issue here, because I love you both, and losing you just isn't on my priority list."

Haymitch sighs and hugs her. "Okay, Bug, that's enough. You're just upsetting yourself now," he says gently, petting her hair.

She burrows into his hold, trying her best to stop crying. "I don't want to make a mess of this," she sniffs. "If you two can forgive us for not being better at keeping to ourselves, we can forgive you overstepping our boundaries."

"Done, now stop crying, it's weird and uncomfortable," Katniss says awkwardly. 

Slowly, Effie calms down, and Haymitch, Peeta, and Katniss share a suspicious look over Effie's head, but nobody voices their questions yet, each thinking it's still too early to tell. Once she's calm, they return to their meal and continue to talk.

* * *

That evening, after yet another meal with Peeta and Katniss, Haymitch rubs Effie's stomach and asks "Bug, do you know what might be causing you to act this way?"

"No," she sighs. "I took another pregnancy test just after dinner, but it was inconclusive. My body's probably still full of the hormones. If I'm not normal again by the time we go to the clinic, I'll start to believe the fraternal twin theory."

He kisses her head, then looks at her face. He leans in to give her a kiss on the lips. "Hey," he murmurs.

"Mm?" she asks, looking up at him curiously.

"Nothing," he replies. "You're just really pretty."

"You're a sweetie," she hums. "I might have to marry you."

"You just might," he chuckles, lightly patting her stomach. "Want to watch something? Or read?"

"Read," she murmurs. "We could read that book you like to read, the old crime drama novel?"

"Sure, I'll get it out," he says, then kisses her head. "Stay there and look pretty."

"Okay," she giggles.

He gets up and goes to the bookshelf, selecting the book, then he returns to the sofa with a mock-disappointed look on his face. "I told you to look pretty," he says, sounding disappointed.

"I thought you would have just said I'm pretty because you're nice," she huffs, clearly taking him seriously.

"You were meant to sit there and look pretty, not beautiful," he sighs, sitting back down. "I'll have to punish you for being more beautiful than ever."

She lifts an eyebrow. "You want to punish me because you're wearing rose-tinted glasses?" she asks. "Okay."

He kisses her gently. "There. That's your punishment," he says. "Now lie down and let me read to you."

"If you think kissing me is a punishment, you have an appalling perspective on your kisses," she says, but relaxes on his chest, waiting for him to start reading. 

He reads to her, getting really into it, and reads four chapters before a small squeak brings him back to their living room. Effie's fallen asleep, cuddled up to him. He smiles and bookmarks their page, then shifts carefully, escaping from under her. He picks her up and cradles her to him, then kisses her nose as he starts to carry her upstairs to bed. Once in their room, he undresses her and puts her in their bed, then goes downstairs to lock all the doors. He walks back upstairs and into their room, then undresses before getting into bed with her. He pets her and whispers "Goodnight, beautiful. I love you."

As he watches her sleep way into the night, he wishes over and over again that he could overcome his phobia of telling her what she means to him enough to tell her that he loves her to her face while she's awake more often.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked this one. If you spotted any mistakes, please let me know, and as always, if you have any prompts for the outtakes you'd like to see, any opinions you have about this chapter, or any constructive criticism to make the story come across better, please drop it in a comment. 
> 
> Much love and happiness to you all. Until next week. Cat xxx


	15. Haymitch, Effie, and the Visit to the Clinic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning of Effie's appointment has arrived, and Haymitch has to get a very tired, moody, and hungry Effie to the clinic. As he expected, it's not an easy task.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, hello, and welcome back! I'm going to confess that I'm _shattered _today, so if you see any mistakes then please let me know. This is a little bit lighter than the previous chapters have been, and I hope you enjoy it. That said, disclaimer.__
> 
> __Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games, its characters, or its world. All rights go to Suzanne Collins, and I am not Suzanne. I just like playing with her characters._ _

The sun beams into the bedroom and directly into a very tired Effie's face. "No, go away, sunlight," she grumbles. "I'm too tired for your nonsense today."

"Bug," Haymitch says, sitting on the bed and rubbing his fiancee's stomach. "Wake up."

"No, I'm dead," she grumbles. "I only wake up for food."

"I'll make you pancakes," he offers.

"Now I'm alive and interested," she murmurs. "Will there be coffee?"

"Already brewing," he says. "Come on, get your little Buggy behind out of bed."

"My Buggy bottom wants to stay in bed," she mumbles. "I'm hungry, sleepy, and I feel sick."

"You have your appointment in two hours," Haymitch says gently. "I know getting up is your least favourite time of day, but you get to climb straight back under the covers after you've seen the doctor."

"I do?" she asks eagerly. "I get to come straight back to bed?"

"Sure, Bug," he chuckles. "And you get food in bed, too. Are you getting up?"

"I get to come back here and get warm," she says. "I happen to love our bed. If only it was portable..."

"Well, until we can get you a portable bed, sweetheart, you'll just have to make do. Tell you what, you tell me what you want to wear, and you can stay snuggled up in bed while I get your clothes," he offers.

"I can do it," she says. "I'm just comfy, so you'll have to pull me out."

"I don't want to hurt you," he says cautiously, suddenly wary of hurting her. 

She tugs on his arm. "You only have to pick me up," she says. "You're good at that. You're always picking me up and moving me around. It's fun, it's almost like I'm an ornament to you."

"You're not an ornament, you're just small and easy to move," he chuckles, then moves the duvet off her. She growls and reaches for it, and Haymitch lunges. He scoops her up, making her growls turn to squeaks. "Hey, beautiful Bug. How's that for getting you out of bed?"

She grumbles and huffs "I need a kiss now to make me feel better about being yanked from our bed."

He gently kisses her and murmurs "You need kisses just because you exist. Now, we've got freshly brewed coffee downstairs, so you pick your outfit, then have some coffee before you get ready for outside."

Effie coos and says "I could  _not_ have picked a better husband. Now, you, I fully expect coffee before I leave this house. Coffee makes me human."

"Coffee coming your way, beautiful," he tells her, then puts her down. "No getting back into bed, you. Grab an outfit."

She nods, then waits for him to turn away before gently smacking his behind. He turns to playfully glare at her, and she shrugs. "You do it to me, turnabout is only fair," she says innocently. "And I couldn't resist, you were gifted with a perfect rear. I have to seize every opportunity to touch."

"Fair enough," he says. "Be careful, though, your slappy little hands might get your pretty little behind smacked too."

"I look forward to it," she says, then strolls to their wardrobe. "And since I'm going to strip again once we're home, I'm wearing cotton underwear, so no sexy stuff to look at."

"You could wear a garbage bag and look sexy in it, so don't give me that," he scoffs. "I'm getting your coffee now. Control your impulses."

"Aww," she groans, but flings open the wardrobe.

Haymitch goes downstairs and gets out their mugs, then pours out their coffee. He goes back upstairs and finds Effie flinging brightly coloured clothes around. "What are you doing?" he asks.

"I picked out the perfect skirt, but I can't find anything that matches," she grumbles, flinging a silver shirt over her shoulder. "Where's all my black clothes?"

"You didn't unpack them all," he says. "They might still be in your boxes."

"You're a genius!" she squeals, then dives under the bed, returning with a massive box marked  ** _Effie's Black Stuff_**. She unpacks everything with a joyous squeal and picks out a slightly baggy top with floppy sleeves. "Found it! Now, tights, boots, gloves..."

"Effie, it's  _July,_ " Haymitch sighs. "You'll cook wearing that."

"I'll die pretty!" she exclaims, then her eyes land on the coffee. "Is that the caffeine?"

"This is the caffeine," he chuckles, handing her the coffee.

"Thank you so much!" she gasps, and immediately starts to chug the coffee down. She waits a minute after finishing her coffee, then makes a face. "I feel even sicker now... I need more coffee."

"If you feel really sick, Bug, you need to go lean over the toilet, not chug more coffee," Haymitch says, fear sparking up, as it usually does when her health seems to waver. 

She grabs her softest cotton bra, then makes a face. "I hate wearing these things," she mumbles.

"Then go without," he suggests.

"No!" she gasps. "It's okay in bed, but outside, I need something to stop these achy things from bouncing."

"Okay," he says, a little lost. "Eff, are you feeling okay?"

"Sleepy, sick, and like I'm carrying way too much on my front," she grumbles, then glances down at her chest. "Is it just me, or are these things getting bigger and more annoying?"

"No, they're a little bigger," he says. "But you've got your appetite back, so I was taking the growth as normal for you on a decent diet."

She blushes and says "I think I look better. More in the hips and waist, and more cleavage. If only my breasts weren't tender... If they'd just stop complaining, I'd be a happy squish."

"You're not meant to ovulate yet, are you?" he asks worriedly. "It would explain why you're tender."

"Probably," she agrees, then pokes her breasts. "Hm. You two had better not start to sag now. I'm enjoying this whole  _more to show off_ situation."

"Go get dressed," Haymitch says. "I know what you're like before going out to places you don't want to go to, and you stall."

Effie shoots him the most horrible look she's ever given to him, grabs a sports bra, then gathers her other clothes and flounces off into the bathroom. She returns to him, showered, dressed, her breath smelling clean, her eyes red and puffy, and her face ashen. "How do I look?" she asks, twirling once before she has to stop and gag.

"Like you're about to vomit again," he sighs, then hugs her close. "Bug, do you think you might be actually unwell?"

"Not really. I'm holding out hope that I was carrying fraternal twins and only lost one baby," she says softly. "If I am unwell, then I'll deal with it."

" _We'll_ deal with it," he corrects softly. "Your problems are my problems."

She smiles and kisses his cheek gently. "We'll manage. Meanwhile, I need some concealer, and maybe some eyeshadow. I feel bad, and I think I look kind of awful too."

"You look pale," he says softly, stroking her cheek. "I wouldn't say awful, though. Just kind of pale, and a bit less strong than usual."

"You're the sweetest man in the world," she giggles. "Thank you. I'll just cover these circles up, then we can have pancakes."

He watches her put the concealer on, then winds his arms around her. "What sort of pancakes do you want, beautiful?" he asks softly, gently biting her neck.

"Ones that make me not have to go out," she mutters. 

"Nope, out of those. Any others?" he asks, petting her.

"Chocolate," she sighs. "Chocolate makes me slightly less sad about going out today."

He sighs and kisses her neck gently. "Okay. Chocolate it is. Come on, beautiful, come downstairs. I'll bundle you up and you can eat your pancakes in a duvet cocoon," he says.

She goes downstairs with him, getting paler with every step, and as soon as they're at the bottom of the stairs, she whimpers "I've changed my mind, I'm not hungry."

"What's wrong?" he asks, knowing she doesn't pass up chocolate pancakes unless something's really wrong. He barely has time to support her before her knees give out and she starts to be sick again. It's all acid now, but she can't seem to stop. "Bug?"

Once the vomiting passes, she flops weakly on him and murmurs "I think that's just my anxiety. Pancakes?"

Silently thanking whatever deity is looking down on them that he's able to get her to a doctor soon, he nods. "Pancakes," he agrees, grateful for her appetite staying. "I don't want you to pass out."

She nods and allows him to take her to the living room. He lies her down and she murmurs "Am I taking a nap?"

"A short one," he says quietly. "I'll wake you for pancakes."

He leaves her on the sofa and goes to make her pancakes, thinking she's going to sleep a little more, but when he's made her breakfast, he walks back into the living room and sees her upside down on the sofa, watching her feet as she wiggles them in the air. "Feet are so weird," she mutters to herself.

"You've got no room to call anything weird, you daft bat," he says, attracting her attention.

"I'm not that weird," she says, pouting.

"You're hanging upside down off our sofa, watching your feet, and talking to yourself. That's a sign of weirdness," he says.

She sits up, her pout becoming a full wobbly lip. "Is that such a bad thing?" she asks softly, her voice wavering.

"Sweetheart, come on. You're not getting out of anything by trying the waterworks on," he says. She whimpers and curls up, pressing her face to her knees. "Effie, stop. Don't you want pancakes?"

"Not everything is fixed with food," she sniffs. "That wasn't very nice, to say my weirdness is a bad thing. I don't think I want to talk to you right now."

"I didn't say it was a bad thing, Bug, I just said you're weird, and that crying isn't getting you out of having breakfast or going out," he says. "You assumed I think it's bad. I didn't say that it is."

He takes the plate over to her, but she turns away. "I'm too sad to eat," she whispers tearfully.

He sighs and hopes that she hasn't managed to hit her head without his knowledge and given herself a brain reset then grinds his teeth and grits out "I'm sorry I upset you."

She nods slightly, then leans on him. "Apology accepted," she whispers, burying her nose against his stomach. "I know it's not easy for you to have to deal with every level of my weirdness, and I'll try to control it. That way, there's no need for painful apologies."

He softens a little, then says "I like your weirdness, I just don't like upsetting you. Come on, Bug, have some pancakes."

She sits up and takes the plate, then eats half of the pancakes before handing them back. "Okay, I'm finished, I'm starting to not feel very well," she says, curling around her stomach. "How long until that appointment?"

"An hour and five minutes," he says. "We'll get going soon, we have to walk."

"Ohh," she groans, then lies on him. "How soon?"

"In about thirty minutes, give your stomach time to settle those pancakes," he says, petting her hair. "If you want a micro-nap, you have a micro-nap."

She nods and lets herself fall back asleep. Haymitch, deciding to let her sleep a while longer, gets her shoes and coat, then slides her shoes onto her feet, smirking at her soft grumbles. She wakes up as he puts his own shoes and coat on, and softly asks "Do we have to go now?"

"Yeah," he says, then pets her hair gently. "Come on, Bug. There's always the bed when we get home."

"Bed sounds nice," Effie mutters. "I don't want to leave it."

"You don't want to go to the clinic," he chuckles.

She makes it out of the Village and halfway to the town square before she starts dragging her feet a little. Haymitch lifts an eyebrow at her, smirking a bit. "I need a break," she whimpers. "I've got a stitch."

"Really? We do this walk weekly," Haymitch says, not even slightly fooled.

"I'm half dead as it is!" Effie protests. "I'm practically running to keep up with you. It's not my fault that I've got tiny legs and you're a titan, you know."

"I need to order you some kiddie rollerskates," he says.

"Why children's rollerskates?" she asks, a confused pout making its way onto her face.

"The adult ones won't fit you, your feet are tiny," he chuckles. "Just like the rest of your body. Now, hurry up and recover, I don't want you to be late to this appointment."

"You choose the most horrible times to like being punctual. Where was this love for being on time when I needed you to be in places?" she whines.

"This time, it's your safety on the line," he says. "I hate the clinic as much as you do, but there's no alternative, and you're going even if I have to carry you."

"This brings me back to the ornament thing," she mumbles. "I'm going straight back to bed the instant we get home, and you're not allowed to bother me for anything unless you're in dire need."

He rolls his eyes, then scoops her up. "Whatever," he says. 

"Put me down! I can walk!" she squeals, kicking her feet a little.

"I'm marrying a toddler in a woman's body," he sighs. "If I put you down, you'd better be willing to walk."

She glares at him, the expression just making her look like a very annoyed two year old. "I. Can. Walk," she hisses, kicking again. "Now put me  _down_."

He puts her down and she stomps ahead of him. He catches up easily and offers his hand to her. "Why are you mad at me? We've been through this," he says. "You're a grown woman, right?"

"I thought I was a toddler in a woman's body?" she hisses.

"Effie, come on. You're acting like a kid. What's up with you?" he asks, getting extremely frustrated now.

She folds her arms and stomps harder. "I'm upset," she says shortly. "And I don't know why. I know we've discussed why I have to go to this horrible place, but that doesn't make it any better, and I don't like being called a child just because I'm upset and scared. They're normal human emotions, and it hurts me when you call me childish and small, and talk to me like I'm a child."

"If you don't act like a kid, you don't get called one, or treated like one," he replies, masking his upset at her sadness and fury. "I'm not calling you childish because of how you feel, I'm calling you childish because that's how you act."

She shuffles a little, then whispers "Why don't you go home? I'll go to the clinic on my own. You go home and have fun, and I'll give you the results when I come back."

"No," he replies instantly. "Absolutely not."

"I'll go," she huffs. "I'm not going to just walk away just because you're not there. I'm capable of doing things alone, and I know you want me to go to this monster of a place. So I will, but I want to be alone."

"No way. I know what you're like," he says, then reaches out to touch her. She bats his hand off her, a glare on her face. He backs off, but glares right back at her. "You hate that place, and it might trigger you. I don't want you to be alone there."

She walks off, almost running now. "You just don't want me to leave before my appointment. Well, I won't. But I do want you to go home and leave me be. I'm in no mood to deal with being spoken to like I'm an insolent child who won't do as her father tells her. If I wanted that, I would have stayed with my parents. I'll tell you what I find out when I get home. You can go back there and get all snuggly warm."

He follows her to the clinic, but as soon as she gets to the doors, she glares at him. "I'm coming in there with you," he says softly.

"I think not," she hisses. "I don't want you here right now. I want you as far away from me as possible when I'm in such a bad mood. Now  _go home_ and leave me to it! I won't leave without seeing the doctor first. Go home. Do whatever you like that's nowhere near this clinic or me."

He studies her, seeing nothing but stubborn resolution, then sighs, defeated. "You call me immediately if you need me, Bug," he tells her. "I don't care how you interpret that, but I don't want you alone if anything goes wrong. The minute you feel like you need me, you call."

"Okay," she murmurs, then hugs him. "Be safe on your walk home, all right? I may be mad, but I love you."

He smirks, wishing she'd let him stay with her, then kisses her head. "I'll see you at home. You stay safe," he murmurs. "And I want to know everything the doctor tells you."

"Okay," she promises, then disappears inside.

Haymitch walks home, terrified of something happening to her, wondering why she's been so irrational about having to go out, and it affects him horribly. While he's inside, he tidies up the house, prepares their bed with many hot water bottles just to warm her up when she gets home, and starts to set up their dinner, fear for his fiancee never once leaving him. He walks back to the clinic after an hour, and sees Effie walking out, a look of complete neutrality on her face. "Effie," he says, relieved to see her.

"Haymitch?" she asks. "Honey, have you been out here all alone?"

"No, I came back after I'd done a few things around the house," he says, then kisses her gently. "How did it go? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she says. "The doctor ran some tests, and she told me that I have severe anxiety disorder, which we already knew, and I'm lacking some vitamins. She's scheduled a home visit to give us the results in around two weeks, as we won't be home next week to get them."

"What did she say about your moods, your fatigue, and your bodily changes?" he asks.

"She said it might be my body returning to normal after the miscarriage. She did an ultrasound, but she couldn't find anything, just a shrinking and very empty sac. My body is reabsorbing it," she sighs. "The only issue I have with that is that I still don't feel empty. I should, but I don't."

He hugs her close, then murmurs "Those machines sometimes miss things, right? And until the tests come through, we don't know that there's not another baby in there, do we?"

Effie shakes her head. "Babe, I think we need to accept that we might have missed out this time," she whispers. "I don't think we're having a baby yet."

"We can hope," he says softly, not really ready to accept that she may have been expecting one baby. "We'll know in a few weeks."

"That is very true, my darling," she murmurs. "Meanwhile, have you been practicing your wedding vows?"

"Yeah," he says. "I solemnly swear to hate my beautiful bride every day for the rest of our lives because she's such a nuisance, but she's a total sweetheart with it, and that adds to her annoying factor."

"I don't know whether I'm even more in love with you or if I'm offended," she says, chuckling slightly.

"Be offended," he says. "My actual vows are much nicer, but you're not hearing them yet. I've got to save something for the wedding."

"I know it's not your innocence, that was gone long before you met me," she says. He stiffens slightly, and she kisses his cheek. "You've been a pervert since you were a teenager."

He relaxes, knowing she wasn't referencing his Games, and chuckles. "Male biology," he says. "I see you and I want you. See? Not that hard to work out."

"You see anything with breasts and you want it," she scoffs, smirking.

"You're not anything, you're  _my_ thing," he says, then grabs her bottom. "And you're a beautiful thing, too."

"Aww. Try saying that when you're not acting like a blind man trying to look at my bottom," she giggles.

"Maybe later," he chuckles, kissing her head as they walk through the gates to the Village. "Are you ready to run inside and get changed for your day of bed?"

"Absolutely," she says. "My back hurts now. Too much walking."

"That's a sign that you're getting old," he chuckles. "Next thing you know, your hips will give out."

She gasps in mock horror. "I am not old! And my hips are fine. You may test  _that_ out after you've fed me," she says in her mock indignation. "I need coffee, too. I'm thirsty."

"I'll say you are," he chuckles, then pats her bottom gently as he unlocks their front door. "Go on, beautiful, go get changed and back into bed."

She squeals and runs for the stairs, tripping over her own feet in her eagerness. "Ouch!" she gasps, but scrambles up and runs faster to get upstairs.

"Don't hurt yourself!" Haymitch shouts after her. "I don't want a corpse bride! I'm not that perverted!"

"Yes you are!" she shouts back. 

He chuckles as he hears her squealing, then thuds and yelps as she rushes to change, and finally the mattress groaning and her joyful shriek as she jumps into bed. He grins and walks to the kitchen, ready to give her the coffee she loves so much, and mutters "I'm marrying a nutcase."

He takes the coffee upstairs to find Effie snuggled under the duvet, half asleep already. "Hi," she hums. "Undress and get in, it's warm in here."

He shrugs and gives her the pink  _Effie_ mug, then puts his own mug on the bedside table. He undresses, smirking as he pretends not to notice Effie's suddenly lustful gaze, and climbs into bed in nothing but his boxers. He picks his mug up with one hand and reaches over to rub Effie's stomach with the other hand. "How do you feel, beautiful?" he asks.

"Warm, loved, caffeinated, and rather turned on," she says, smiling innocently, knowing how much it arouses him to hear her talk like that. "I think that once we're done with our coffee, we should see how much this bed can  _really_ take."

He chuckles and sips his coffee. "I'm in for that, sweetheart," he chuckles. "Am I to take it that you're totally naked under this duvet, or are you in your underwear?"

"Aside from when I'm on my period, when do I wear underwear?" she asks. "I hardly ever do that, underwear takes the fun out of teasing you."

Haymitch laughs and kisses her gently. "I really love that you don't wear underwear, Bug," he chuckles. They finish their coffee, sneaking lustful glances at each other, then she shifts closer to him, sliding her hand onto his stomach. "Hey."

"Hello, my love," she purrs, rubbing his stomach gently, pressing her lips to his jaw. "Do you want to test the limits of our bed?"

"How about our whole room?" he asks, turning his head to kiss her lips.

"I like your style," she hums, kissing him back.

* * *

"Katniss, I don't really think they want us to go over today," Peeta sighs as Katniss lugs the huge baby pushchair out of the house.

"They came over last night, and they said they'd cook," Katniss says stubbornly. "They'll probably be cooking now. Or Effie will be, and Haymitch will be trying to distract her."

"As long as we knock, then," Peeta says reluctantly, giving in.

They walk across the street and Katniss firmly knocks on the door. Effie opens it, wearing a short, black dress with a low cut neckline. "Hello, darlings!" she coos. "How are my three treasures?"

"We're good, thanks," Peeta says.

"Haymitch! Shirt!" Effie shouts into the hall. "Don't think I didn't see you!"

"I long for the day I can roam my own house naked, woman!" Haymitch shouts at her.

Effie rolls her eyes fondly, then lets Peeta, Katniss, and Willow into the house. "Don't mind him, my loves. Dinner should be ready soon, so please, make yourselves at home," she says, smiling.

"How did your trip to the clinic go?" Katniss asks abruptly.

Effie's smile fades, and she says "It was okay. I'm perfectly fine. The doctor did some tests, so I get the results in two weeks from when they come in."

Haymitch walks in and kisses Effie's cheek. "Hey, Bug," he says. "Kids, want a drink?"

"Orange juice?" Katniss asks.

"Sure," Haymitch says. "Boy?"

Peeta rolls his eyes, but says "Water, please."

"Okay. Bug?" Haymitch asks.

"It's okay for now, sweetest," Effie says, smiling a little at him.

"That's not like you," Katniss says. "You're not setting off sex sparks."

"We were done before you arrived," Haymitch says. "Bug's been cooking for the last half hour."

"Don't worry, I washed my everything first," Effie giggles. "And I've bought dessert this time, so there's no sugar overload."

Katniss and Peeta share an amazed look, then Willow whines. Haymitch takes the drinks to the table to give them to Peeta and Katniss, then Peeta asks "Do you want Willow for a bit, Haymitch?"

Haymitch nods and takes Willow off him. "Hey, tiny thing. How are you?" he asks.

Willow makes a quiet happy sound and reaches up to tug on his forming beard. Effie smiles a little at his wince and says "I told you to shave."

"Have I told you that I hate you today?" he asks snarkily.

"Only twice," Effie says. "I needed to hear it a third time, or you would have been the one having blood tests in the clinic to check that you're okay."

"Here they go," Katniss mutters under her breath.

* * *

That night, Haymitch strokes Effie's hair as she lies on his chest, and asks "How's the wedding outfits coming along?"

"Yours is done," she whispers. "I tailored it perfectly, it's in its garment bag, ready for you now. My dress only needs a few tiny tweaks, then it's done."

"How about the bridesmaids' dresses and the best man's suit?" he asks.

"Done," she murmurs. "I had those done just after I completed yours."

"Everything else sorted?" he asks.

"Perfectly," she hums sleepily. "Cake ordered, venues booked, band booked, flowers ordered, buffet ordered, and people invited. Your squish is on top of everything, including you."

"That's my girl," he chuckles, only to be met by her sleepy squeaks. He smiles, knowing that she's fallen asleep, and combs his fingers through her soft hair. "I love you, Effie Trinket, in all your tiny Bugginess."

He pets her until he joins her in a peaceful, warm sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there's that chapter. I'm going to work on chapters 17 to 22 during the week, so I might not be very active on Twitter for those of you who follow that. And as I said before, if you spot any mistakes, please let me know in a comment below, along with any thoughts, prompts for the outtakes or my one shots on fanfiction net, opinions, or constructive criticisms that you want to share.
> 
> I hope you've had a good week, and that this one treats you nicely. 
> 
> Much love and happiness to you all. Until next week. Cat xxx


	16. One Night Apart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haymitch and Effie are separated on the night before their wedding, Haymitch is being taken on a night out with his old drinking buddies, victors and District friends alike, where Effie is at home, being spoiled silly by her bridesmaids and close friends, but neither can stop themselves thinking of the other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, hello! Welcome back to Expanding The Team. I hope you're ready, this goes from gooey and funny, to kind of sad but also kind of heartwarming, to dark and depressing, to fluffiness.
> 
> I've done the **(!) **(^_^) **things again where I think it should be warned, as there's talk of abuse, abortion, and cruelty to a baby. I promise that that'll never be an actual present thing in my works, a child getting hurt literally nauseates me, but it is mentioned in here, and what's brought up really isn't nice, so I think it's best I warn you all first. I do think it makes for a part of certain things though, which is why I kept it in.******
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> **I don't know, I didn't think it was going to make much sense as two separate chapters, it was hard to divide, and it felt like filler if I did split it, so hard luck, you're in with a lot of feelings in one monster chapter. I hope you've had a great week, and that this coming week treats you well.**  
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> **Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games, its characters, or its world. All rights go to Suzanne Collins, and I am not Suzanne. I just like playing around with her characters.**  
>  **  
>  **

"Mm," Effie sighs, wrapping herself tighter around Haymitch as she deepens the kiss. "Mm..."

He chuckles, sliding his hand down her back while cupping her head with his other hand. Neither of them notice the door opening, or Johanna yelling "Oi! Kids about!"

"Mitt!" River yells, rushing at Haymitch. "Flea!"

Haymitch starts laughing and Effie beams at the little boy. "Hello, River," she says sweetly, feeling a faint pang of pain at the memory of his father. "You've got so big, darling. What is your mommy feeding you?"

"Fish," Johanna deadpans. "So. Much. Fish."

"I gots tie too!" River squeals, tugging on his tie.

"No, River, be careful," Annie says softly, taking his hands off his tie. "You know it's not safe to tug on your tie."

River pouts, just how Finnick used to, but soon cheers up when Haymitch picks him up. "Hi!" he yells happily, hugging Haymitch.

"Hey," Haymitch chuckles, hugging him tightly. "How's my favourite little man been?"

"I good," River says happily. "Mommy says you going get mar weed."

Effie lets out a tiny squeak and covers her mouth, her eyes going wide. "Aw!" she breathes.

"Mommy was right," Haymitch says. "Guess who I'm getting married to?"

"Flea!" River exclaims, causing Johanna to burst out laughing.

"That's right, little guy, Flea," Haymitch chuckles, smirking at Effie over River's copper curls. "What do you think? Should I marry her?"

"Yeah!" River yells, causing Haymitch to wince at the volume right down his ear. "Flea boo-full!"

Effie coos softly. "Annie, your son is just too adorable," she whispers. 

"Thank you," Annie giggles softly. "I'm sorry about the nickname  _Flea_ , I've been trying to help him say your name, but Johanna laughs every time he says Flea, so he's determined to keep making her laugh."

"Johanna doesn't genuinely laugh a lot, so I don't mind," Effie says. "I also happen to love hearing him talk, no matter what he calls me."

"Flea!" River calls. "Flea!"

"Yes, sweetie?" Effie asks, smiling broadly.

"Hug!" he commands.

Effie immediately goes over to River and Haymitch, and is swallowed up by a massive hug. Seconds later, Johanna and Annie get involved in the hug, and they enjoy the massive squash up until the door opens again. "What's all this?" asks a familiar voice.

"Beetee!" Effie squeaks from the middle of the hug. "Hello!"

"Did I just hear Miss Trinket?" Beetee chuckles. "Where is she?"

"Let the bride out," Johanna says, releasing Effie. "Here she is."

Effie smiles at Beetee and hugs him gently. "Hello! It's been so long, how are you?" she asks.

"I'm fine, thank you. How are you?" Beetee asks, smiling up at her.

"That's good," Effie replies, then smiles a little more. "I'm doing well, thank you. Come, come, inside."

The door opens again, revealing two more people. "Hello? Haymitch? Are you conscious?" Plutarch calls. 

"Plutarch!" Fulvia hisses. "Hello? Haymitch? Effie? Are you home?"

"Living room!" Haymitch calls as Johanna and Annie sit on the sofa to catch up with Beetee. Plutarch and Fulvia stroll in like they own the place. "Hey, glad you could make it."

"We wouldn't miss it for the world," Fulvia gushes as she hugs him. "Hello, River."

"Hi," River chirps, smiling broadly.

"You look just like your father," Plutarch says, then shakes Haymitch's hand as soon as Fulvia's backed away.

Fulvia's gaze lands on Effie and her eyes widen. "Oh, Effie, darling, look at you!" she sighs, hugging her. "Glowing like the moon. Are you excited?"

"Extremely," Effie says, hugging her back. "It's so lovely to see you again."

Fulvia smiles and says "Oh, and you, my darling," then backs off to give Plutarch room to hug Effie.

"It's so good to see you healthy and happy, Effie," Plutarch says. "This District's air must be doing you good. Fulvia's right, you're glowing."

"Well, I am living the dream," she giggles, then smiles at Haymitch. "Honey, shall I go get the drinks, or do you want me to take River while you do it?"

"You take River, beautiful, I'll get the drinks," he says, then hands River over. "No stealing my girl, you."

"No pom-sis," River says cheekily. 

Haymitch makes a face, then walks into the kitchen. Effie hugs River tightly, then looks to Plutarch and Fulvia. "Please, make yourselves at home, you don't have to stand around," she says, gesturing.

"You are a doll," Fulvia says, sitting down on the sofa opposite Johanna and Annie, tugging Plutarch down next to her. "So, Effie, dear, what does the dress look like?"

"A dress," Effie says, smiling. "A very mysterious, very  _secret_ dress. I want everyone to be surprised by it."

"She won't tell anyone what it looks like," Haymitch says, carrying in a tray of drinks. "She's being all silent about it."

"That's because a woman's wedding gown shouldn't be known until the big day," Effie sighs. "Much like your suit is only known to us, and I only know about it because I had to know."

"You made it," Haymitch says casually, pride glowing in his eyes. 

"You  _made_ his suit?" Plutarch asks, his eyes growing twice their usual size.

"She did," Haymitch says proudly while Effie blushes. "She's a fantastic designer."

"Now, Haymitch, they'll expect something more than what I'm capable of," Effie says, blushing. "It looks exceptional on you, but that's because it's on you."

Haymitch walks over to her and kisses her lips gently. "No, it's exceptional because you made it," he says. "Don't be modest, sweetheart, own your skills."

"Isn't Enobaria coming?" Johanna asks. 

"She said she is," Haymitch says. "I don't know whether she actually is or what, but she said she'd come. She also said she didn't believe for one second that I'd actually marry my squeaky little escort, you know what she's like."

"You're not marrying your escort," Annie says. "You're marrying Effie. There's a difference."

"Yeah, the escort doesn't exist," Haymitch says, smirking a little. "Effie does."

Katniss, Peeta, Willow, and Enobaria enter the house next, and Enobaria backs off as Effie comes to hug her and says "Hi, Trinket. Don't try to hug me."

Effie nods, then backs off. "It's lovely to see you," she says.

Enobaria's eyes sweep the room, then she looks at Haymitch. "So. You're marrying your escort?" she asks.

"Yeah," Haymitch says, knowing there's no point trying to tell Enobaria that Effie's no more an escort than anyone else in the room. 

"Good luck," Enobaria says. "Still, she's pretty without the goo on her face."

Haymitch smirks. "Yeah, I know," he chuckles. "Lucky me, huh?"

"If you say so," Johanna mutters.

"Your kid's going to come out pretty," Enobaria comments. "Is there any chance of a drink? Nobody around here wants to provide the liquor."

Haymitch chuckles and goes into the kitchen, returning with a glass of brandy. "Here you go, fresh from the bottle," he tells her.

"You always come through," Enobaria chuckles, then sips the brandy. "Oh, it's the good stuff."

Effie smiles, then says "I think we've got everyone."

"Yeah, I think so," Haymitch says. 

"Great," Katniss says. "Now, you all know the plan. Plutarch, Jo, Enobaria, Beetee, and I are all taking Haymitch on a night out."

"You're doing what?!" Haymitch and Effie yell, both equally as horrified as each other.

"Stag do, Abernathy," Johanna says. "You're not meant to be around the bride while she's being spoiled, and it's your last night as a free man before the chick ties you down."

"And Peeta, Annie, Fulvia, and River are all keeping Effie to pamper her," Katniss finishes smoothly. "Effie, do you mind keeping Willow for the evening?"

"Not at all," Effie says. "I mind you trying to get my future husband drunk, though."

"I'll have to be sober anyway," Katniss says. "I'll keep him from getting totally wasted."

"Thanks, girl," Haymitch says, then wraps his arm around Effie's waist. "If you lot don't mind, I'm just taking this one upstairs for a minute. I need a private word with her."

"Mommy, is they going to do the sex?" River asks loudly.

"River!" Annie gasps as everyone else, including Haymitch and Effie, burst out laughing. "That's rude!"

"But accurate!" Johanna cackles. 

"Does he know what sex is?" Enobaria wheezes between bursts of laughter.

"It when a girl and a boy get undressed, get into bed, and kiss a lot," River declares proudly. "And then the boy puts his-"

"Enough!" Annie gasps in horror, covering River's mouth. "No more now. Outside time, we can look at the geese!"

Haymitch tugs Effie upstairs, both of them still laughing, and into their room. "Sweetheart, they're trying to split us up for the night," Haymitch says, suddenly serious.

"I know," she sighs. "I don't want to be apart from you, my darling."

"I don't want to be separated," he agrees softly. "Come here, gorgeous."

She instantly wraps her arms around him, nuzzling his chest. "I love you. A lot," she whispers.

He smiles slightly, knowing she can't see just how much he loves hearing her tell him that she loves him. He picks her up and sits her on her vanity desk, then gives her a small box. "I've got you a present, beautiful," he tells her quietly.

"What is it?" she asks, studying the box. It couldn't be a ring, it's slightly too big, but it's too small to be a necklace. 

"Open it," Haymitch says, kissing her forehead.

She strokes the soft black velvet of the box, then opens it slowly, revealing a black beaded bracelet with a silver heart charm on it. "Oh, my... It's beautiful," she whispers, her eyes wide. "Where did you find this?"

"It's custom," he says awkwardly. "Designed for you. I take it you like it?"

"I love it," she whispers, gently lifting it from its box, noticing the strong elastic in it. She studies the little silver charm, then sees the inscription on the back, reading  _I love you, Bug_ , and tears well in her eyes. "Haymitch..."

He shifts uncomfortably, then hugs her tightly. "Don't cry, soggy Bug," he mutters. "It's not a crying matter."

"They're happy tears," she whispers. "Sweetest, I love this. Thank you so much."

"Anything for my Bug," he murmurs. "Are you still crying?"

"No," she sniffs, then lets out a soft sob. "Maybe a little bit. Yes."

"You're a damp little thing," he says softly. "Do I need to wring you out to stop you leaking?"

"You could just let me drip," she murmurs. "I'm perfectly okay with crying on you. You're the sweetest man alive."

He hugs her harder, then Johanna bangs on the door and shouts "Abernathy, put your bride down and get some clothes on, we're going out!"

"Auntie Jo-Jo, they doing the sex!" River exclaims from outside. "Mommy say to leaf them!"

"We're not having sex!" Haymitch groans. "Can't a guy snuggle his girl without everyone assuming we're literally locked at the-"

"Haymitch," Effie whispers. "Three year old around."

He rolls his eyes, then says "Jo, take River back downstairs, Effie and I will be down there in a minute."

"Okay, but be fully clothed," Johanna says.

Haymitch growls something horrible under his breath that makes Effie cringe, then adds "I'm going to strip off next time someone tells me to be fully clothed, and I'm going to walk this whole house naked, just to shut them all up."

Effie's eyes go wide. "And suddenly, I have the urge to hide all of your clothes," she says, staring at him. "And you can hide mine."

"Sweetheart, there's no way I'd let anyone see you naked who isn't me," he tells her. "Do you really think any guy around here could look at you naked and not want you?"

"Anyone named Haymitch Abernathy, and anyone actually planning to marry me tomorrow. Everyone else would hide their eyes and beg me to get dressed," she tells him, then kisses him.

"You know that that's not true," he replies, cupping her cheek gently, smirking at how soft her skin is. "Everyone around here would love seeing you naked, and I'm not about to let that happen."

"Well, what about you? Women around here would kill to even get a glimpse of you without a stitch on," she says. "And Johanna would take it as an invitation to get completely naked again, too. I don't know about you, but I've seen far too much of Johanna Mason to ever be comfortable around her again."

Haymitch smirks and asks "Sweetheart, are you jealous of Jo?"

"Well, she's got a much leaner body than I have," Effie huffs. "And somehow, much like you and our kids, she looks strong with all of her scars."

"So do you," Haymitch tells her, then lifts her chin up so that she's looking at him. "And I happen to love your little body. You're soft and firm in all the right places, and you're easy to cuddle and carry about. You know, when you're not kicking around and squirming."

"You like my kicking and squirming," she says. "Do you really think I'm cuddly?"

"Yeah, obviously. Why else would I be trying to hug you all the time? You're like a little cuddle machine," he says. "Small, soft, and squishy."

She laughs, then puts her bracelet down. "I'm not taking this treasure near the children, it'll be broken," she says. "I'll wear it tomorrow, where everyone can see it."

He nods, knowing Effie's tendency to be protective over gifts he gives to her. "I can't believe we're getting married tomorrow," he says, watching her.

"No, neither can I," she says, smiling up at him. "It doesn't feel like two minutes since you asked me to marry you, and here we are, one day before we're married. Are you still sure you want to be stuck with me forever?"

"I'm certain," he chuckles, smiling adoringly at her. "How about you? Are your feet metaphorically warm? We both know they're never literally warm."

"My feet are metaphorically on fire," she says. "No chance of cold toes any time soon."

"Good," he says. "I'm going to take it easy on the booze tonight. I don't want to be hungover for our wedding. I want to appreciate my little sunspot in all your glory."

"More like your little black hole," she giggles. "I love you, gorgeous, I really do."

He wraps his arms around her again, then the door flies open. "Haymitch!" Katniss bellows. "Get out of here!"

"I hate these kids," Haymitch grumbles, picking Effie up. "I'm bringing this with me."

Effie giggles and says "Honey, we have to go downstairs, carrying me isn't safe."

"I'm carrying you," he insists. "I don't want you out of my hold for even a second."

He carries her downstairs with no incident, despite his nagging fear of her getting hurt in some way. "Oh, finally," Johanna sighs, then stares at them. "Why are you carrying her around?"

"I like being held," Effie says, smiling. "And he likes to pick me up and put me in different places like a cushion."

"More like a sex doll," Johanna murmurs.

"Jo!" Annie and Peeta gasp, both horrified for different reason.

"Sex doll!" River squeals delightedly. "Mommy, is Flea a sex doll to Mitt?"

"Now look what you've done!" Annie groans. "I'm so sorry, he's like a sponge for rude Johanna comments."

Effie buries her face in Haymitch's neck, silently laughing hard enough to shake her whole body. "Is she crying again?" Katniss asks.

"No, she's laughing," Haymitch chuckles. 

"Put me down, squishy," Effie chokes. Haymitch immediately lets her put her feet on the ground, but keeps hold of her. "I need to kneel down, are you coming with me?"

Haymitch and Effie both drop to their knees and Effie hugs River. "Listen to me, little man. Your Auntie Jo says very rude things that don't suit a gentleman. Can you try not repeating what Auntie Jo says? It's much nicer if you don't," she whispers to him.

"Okay, Auntie Flea," River says, smiling at her just how his father used to. "Pitty Flea."

Haymitch turns and buries his face in Effie's shoulder to hide his laughter at River's inability to say certain words, but Effie takes it in stride. "Thank you, darling," she says, then strokes his hair gently. "You're a very handsome little man."

"Fang you!" he exclaims proudly. "Mommy, she like me!"

There are coos from around the room, followed by laughter as Haymitch protectively hugs Effie with a playfully upset look on his face. "Hey, this Fleabag's mine," he chuckles.

"Fleabag?!" Effie gasps, playfully shoving him. "I am not a fleabag! How dare you! Okay, go on, get out. Go get drunk enough to confess your undying love to me, then come home. I won't be called a fleabag."

He hugs her tighter and whispers into her ear "Are you actually angry?"

"No, sweetness, of course not," she whispers back lovingly. "I do want you to have fun, though."

"If I get away, I'll have fun making you scream," he murmurs.

"I hope you do," she purrs.

* * *

As soon as Haymitch is surrounded by Johanna, Katniss, Plutarch, Beetee, and Enobaria, each preventing him from hugging or kissing Effie again, Effie says "If you get my groom drunk, I will personally kill each of you, and you will have gone through war just to be taken down by a smaller than you blob of darkness."

"She means a goth munchkin," Haymitch chuckles.

"Hey! I'm not a munchkin!" Effie protests. "I'm average!"

"No, Brainless is average," Johanna says. "You missed your teenage growth spurt... Munchkin."

"Okay, get out," Effie huffs. "You're being mean. Go out, and as long as Haymitch comes home tipsy at most, everything will be okay."

Haymitch looks over Johanna to Effie and says "The minute you want me home, call me."

"I don't need to, you're here," she says. "You already know I'd prefer to keep you, but they're not going to let us stay together tonight. So get out, have fun, and do not get too drunk to function. I need you fully functional for tomorrow."

Haymitch nods and has to be dragged away before he can return to Effie. A full two seconds later, Effie starts to power walk to the door, and Peeta and Fulvia drag her back over to the sofa. "No," Fulvia chuckles. "He can live without being glued to you. It's his last night of not being married, let him have fun while we stuff you with cakes and chocolates."

"Shall I break out the wine?" Effie asks, knowing they're not going to let her go after Haymitch.

"Wine isn't very good for your little one," Fulvia says kindly, gesturing to Effie's stomach.

"Um," Peeta says awkwardly, clearing his throat. "Effie's not pregnant, Fulvia."

"Miscarriage," Effie murmurs. "I'm just a bit chunky. Call it over-feeding from Haymitch."

Fulvia turns pink, then says "No, no, dear, it's not-"

"It is," Effie says, smiling a little. "It's okay, I know. I did want to diet, but you know Haymitch, he's all for full acceptance of how I look. So, who wants wine?"

Trying to escape the awkwardness, Fulvia nods. "Wine sounds good," she says.

"Great," Effie says, standing up. She walks to the kitchen, then her cell rings. Her heart sinks when she sees Haymitch's number, and she immediately picks up. "What is it, honey? Are you okay? Nobody's hurt you?"

"No, but your parents are here," he says. "Your mom's on her way over, your dad's staying with us. Your brother, sisters, and siblings in law are here. Your sisters and sister in law are with your mom, the guys wanted a night out. They're bringing the kids your way. Good luck, gorgeous."

"So wine's out of the question? Or do I give the children cordial?" she asks.

"Give the kids what their moms say is okay," Haymitch tells her. "I'd say an early bedtime for the little ones if wine's involved, but Capitol people are weird. You're a case in point."

"Get through one sentence without insulting me," she fires back. "Okay, I'll make sure they know. I'm pouring the wine. I love you. Stay safe, and don't do anything or anyone I wouldn't do."

"There's nobody you wouldn't do, Bug," Haymitch chuckles. "I know you like anyone or anything that can have sex with you."

"I'm strictly Haymitch-oriented, and you know it. But I mean it. No having sex with anyone I wouldn't be on board with," she tells him firmly.

"So my hand or you it is," he says. "Got you."

"Good man," she coos. "I really love you, darling. Have fun, okay?"

"Okay. Don't get too drunk yourself," he says. "And no sexy advances on the boy, it's not his fault that he's not a girl."

"My sexy advances are yours only," she giggles. "And if I don't see you tonight, I will show you tomorrow night."

"Is that a promise?" he asks, lowering his voice.

"Most definitely," she murmurs huskily. "I'd tell you what I want to do to you, but my mother and sisters have just arrived. I have to go."

"Okay. Be a good Bug," he whispers, his voice almost a growl. "I'll see you at some point soon."

She hangs up and is immediately hugged from behind by her mother. "Euphemia!" her mother exclaims. "Hello, my gorgeous girl!"

"Mother!" Effie exclaims in surprise, turning to hug her back. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, my girl, truly. Now, do you need me to help you escape? There's still time," her mother whispers.

"Mother, my feet are metaphorically toasty warm, I'm not backing out," Effie says softly. "I am marrying Haymitch tomorrow, that's that."

"Oh. I thought I'd make sure," her mother sighs. "Ah, well. I should just be glad you found a man to love you, despite your obvious chub."

She studies Effie critically, and Effie blushes. "Mother!" she giggles, trying to downplay her hurt. "I have eaten a lot lately, though."

"Alter your dress tonight to fit you better tomorrow. And for the love of Panem, don't wear anything revealing tomorrow night," her mother says scornfully. "You do want him to find you attractive, don't you?"

Effie closes her eyes, then changes the topic. "I'm pouring wine, do you want some?" she asks, opening her eyes again.

"Oh, you are a dear," her mother coos. "You shouldn't have too much, though, wine does add to your weight."

Effie silently wills herself not to cry, then pours her mother a glass of wine and hands it to her. She pours out enough glasses for Annie, her two sisters, and her sister in law as well, pouring herself a glass last. "Shall we go back to the others?" Effie asks softly.

"Of course. You shouldn't leave your guests too long, after all," her mother says.

They walk back into the kitchen, and Effie's sisters smile at her. Her sister in law squeals happily and dodges the tray to kiss Effie's cheek. "Effie! Congratulations on finding your soulmate! I always knew you would," she babbles.

"Thank you, Abby," Effie says, beaming at her sister in law. "How have you been since we last spoke?"

"I've been fine, thanks. Run off my feet with kids, but you know how it is," Abby chuckles. "You two not saying hello to Auntie Effie?"

"Hello, Aunt Effie!" one of Effie's nieces squeals. "Are you really getting married?"

"Yes, June, I am," Effie says, handing out wine glasses and smiling at her niece. "Look at you, darling, all grown up. What grade are you in now?"

"Eighth," June replies, grinning. 

"Oh, my! Do you like your school?" Effie asks.

"Yeah," June replies.

"Don't lie, Juniper," Effie's mother sighs. "You told me just last night how much you hate school."

"I hate the kids," June replies smoothly. "The teachers are okay, and I like the studies. Just the other kids are useless."

Effie smiles. "Oh, Junie," she says fondly. "Don't you worry, the other kids aren't as invested in education as you are. You'll get further in life."

June smiles up at her aunt, then Abby asks "Hey, Mal? Come say hi to Auntie Effie, will you?"

"Hey, Auntie Effie," Mal says, barely glancing up from his new handheld games console.

"I hate Gabriel sometimes," Abby sighs. "Get him a games console, Abigail, he'll love it, he says. He'll behave when you take him places, he says."

"Malachi Trinket!" Effie's mother snaps.

"Yeah, Grandma?" Malachi asks.

"Talk properly, for a start, and say hello to your aunt," his grandmother hisses. "You're being very rude to sit in a corner on your games console without so much as a hello for your hostess."

Malachi sighs and gets up, then strolls to Effie, giving her a hug. "Hey, Auntie Effie," he says.

Effie hugs him back and says "Hello, Mal. It's lovely to see you."

"Nice to see you," he repeats, then looks up at her. "Your chest is bigger. Why?"

"Malachi!" Abby gasps, blushing. "Remember what I said about  _lines_? That was one of them!"

"It's okay, Abby," Effie giggles. "It's fine. It's nothing more than a lot of food."

Malachi nods, then asks "Can I go sit down again, Mom?"

"Only if you hand me that damn game thing before you do. I'm not having you sit there in a ball, not interacting with anyone," Abby says, holding out her hand.

"When do I get it back?" Malachi asks.

"When we go to the hotel after we've spoiled your aunt," Abby tells him, putting the console in her bag. 

Malachi makes a face, then goes over to his cousins. "Rosaline, Madison, shouldn't your children be following Juniper and Malachi's examples?" their mother hisses, glaring.

Madison sighs, tossing her jet black hair over her shoulder. "Glitch, Gadget, Blaze, and Dew! Over here and greet your aunt!" she calls.

The three boys, aged between nine and five walk over sullenly to greet their aunt, annoyed at having been pulled out of their game of hitting each other with the cushions, and the little girl is sat playing a clapping game with River. "Hey, Auntie Effie," Glitch, the oldest of the three boys says, giving his aunt a quick hug.

"Hello, Glitch," Effie says softly, allowing him to back out of the hug as soon as he pulls away. "I love what you've done with your hair today."

"Mom did it," he mumbles. "She said I had to make it nice for your wedding."

"And a fine job she did," Effie says. "Don't you worry, darling, you're handsome however you look."

Privately, Effie doesn't think any of Madison's children actually belong to her husband, but she'd never dare voice that aloud. Gadget steps up next and hugs his aunt with a little more enthusiasm. "Hello, Auntie Effie," he says quietly, his tone polite but reserved, and Effie sadly realises just how little of a presence she is in his life. 

"Hello, Gadget," she says, hugging him back. "Look at this, you're wearing a tie."

"I couldn't make him take it off," Madison says. "He insisted that he wore it just to impress you."

"Aww, Gadget, darling," Effie coos, stroking his hair. "Is that true?"

Gadget shifts a little and says "Uncle Haymitch always used to say that you like men who wear ties."

Effie smiles adoringly. "Oh, you little sweetheart," she whispers, hugging him harder. "That's so precious. You look very handsome, darling."

"Thank you," he says. backing away slightly.

Blaze, a bundle of energy, jumps at Effie. "Hi!" he yells happily, almost flattening her in his enthusiam.

"Hello!" Effie giggles, hugging him back. "Oh, you're  _bouncy_. What's got into  _you_?"

"Mommy says there's going to be  _cake_!" Blaze yells happily. "And you're going to be wearing a pretty white dress, and we're totally _not_ allowed to touch your dress at all!"

"Well, there'll be cakes tonight," Effie promises. "And chocolates, and lots of soda. Does that sound good?"

"Yeah!" Blaze yells, and even the older boys and Juniper look interested now.

"Euphemia, please remember that these are  _our_ children, and we have to look after them," Rosaline sighs. "If you get them hyperactive, you're keeping them overnight."

"She can't!" their mother squawks, loudly enough to alert the whole District. "She's getting  _married_ in the morning, and she already looks like a disaster, we can't have her turning up an  _exhausted_ disaster!"

"Exactly," Effie says. "And I don't see the kids that often, I want to treat them."

"If you hadn't moved to the backwater hole of District Twelve, of all places, to live with a maddening drunkard, you'd see our kids a lot more," Rosaline hisses.

"Insult my groom once more, and you'll see the street outside," Effie says, putting Blaze on the floor. "I'm not going to spend tonight fending off insults from you two and Mother. I moved here so that I could avoid being insulted for my entire existence."

"She's right," Abby says, stepping in. "You three want to be a part of her bridal shower, you've got to be nice to her. She needs the night of pampering, she's done this whole thing by herself, pretty much."

"Thank you," Effie says, smiling at her sister in law.

"So, Clementine, Rosaline, and Madison, are we in agreement here? Pamper the bride for two days and shove off home tomorrow?" Abby asks, giving them all a death stare that makes Effie proud.

"Fine," Rosaline and Madison grumble.

"Very well," Clementine says haughtily. 

"And absolutely no bashing Haymitch," Effie says. "I'm not changing my mind, regardless of how little you think of him."

"Aww," Annie sighs. "You and Haymitch were made for each other."

"My daughter has always been a little too good for him," Clementine says, giving Effie a look of annoyance. "Don't get angry with me, girl, it's true. You've always been too soft and pure for the likes of him. He's coarse and brutal with you. I've seen him pulling you around and carrying you like he's some kind of caveman."

"He does that because I'm shorter than he is and he's impatient with my speed," she says. "And he carries me when my heels get to be too much. He loves me really, he just hates it when he can't feel me nearby or wants me closer than I already am."

Abby says "Gabriel's exactly the same with me, Clementine. He's not gentle with anyone but the kids and Effie."

"Why must you indulge her with this silly nickname business, Abigail? Euphemia is a perfectly lovely name," Clementine sighs. "And Gabriel would never hurt you, he's not damaged like her victor is."

"Haymitch isn't  _damaged_ , he has post traumatic stress," Effie says. "And I dare you to find me anyone who went through what he or any other victor, or any Capitol prisoner went through that doesn't have post traumatic stress."

"Spark, Bolt, are you two coming to give Auntie Effie a hug?" Rosaline asks of her two infant sons. She picks the babies up, then shows them to Effie. 

"How old are they?" Effie asks softly, transfixed by the tiny babies.

"They're eight weeks old tomorrow," Rosaline says.

Dew bounces up to her aunt and proudly squeaks "I is Dew Hawkwheat! Peas to me you!"

Effie coos at Dew and hugs her tightly, hating that she felt the need to introduce herself. "Very pleased to meet you too, Dew," she says softly.

"You is Fifi!" Dew exclaims.

"Yes, my darling, I'm your Aunt Effie," Effie whispers, kissing her niece's forehead. 

"Ribby is my fend," Dew says, pointing at River.

"Really? Oh, that's wonderful, Dewy," Effie says, cuddling the two year old.

Dew nods, then runs back to River to return to their clapping game. Effie sips her wine and silently wonders how Haymitch is getting on.

* * *

**(!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!)**

"You used to be game for anything, old man," Enobaria chuckles. "Did Trinket break you?"

"No, she didn't break me," Haymitch says, pushing away a shot. "I promised her I wouldn't be hungover for the wedding. I don't want to be wincing every time she speaks or sniffs because she's an emotional wreck. It'd ruin it for her."

"Leave him alone, he's not normally nice to Effie," Katniss says. "He's usually really inconsiderate about her plans."

"Hey, that's  _not_ true," Haymitch defends himself. "I'm not totally inconsiderate. I turned up to your wedding sober, didn't I? And I stayed sober when I met her mom. Do you have any idea how hard  _that_ was? The woman's cruel to the poor munchkin."

Eyes turn to Effie's father, who just shrugs. "She is," he says. "She's awful to her."

"How awful are we talking? Like whipping her awful?" Enobaria asks. 

"Almost," Mr Trinket says quietly. "She didn't want Euphemia at all. She was all set to abort her when she found out."

"What?" Katniss asks, horrorstruck. "She wanted to get rid of her?"

"Yes, she did," he replies, looking at his glass. "She tried to, but Euphemia survived the abortion. Clementine was denied another attempt, and she hated our daughter right from finding out that she was carrying a third girl. She wanted to balance it out with another son,"

"Mom really despised Effie," Gabriel says sadly. "It's a shame, too. Effie was easily the sweetest baby out of the three of us. Madison and Rosaline hated her from the start, too, and it was only because Dad and I liked her that she lived."

"She got meningitis as a baby," Mr Trinket mutters. "She was turning blue, and Clementine was just  _watching_. If Gabriel and I hadn't got her to the hospital, she would have died then and there."

"How could any mother just stand there and watch her baby suffocate?" Katniss asks lowly, glaring at the table. "Jo, Enobaria, I need you two to hold me back if I see her."

Haymitch growls "I'll help you, girl."

Mr Trinket says "You're very protective over my littlest girl, Mr Abernathy."

"Call me Haymitch, Mr Abernathy was my toerag of a father," Haymitch says. "And it's about time she got the protection she needs. No wonder she's a wreck. The little Bug's had it rough."

"Bug?" Mr Trinket asks.

"She got annoying," Haymitch says. "Poking me repeatedly and saying  _bug_ every time she poked me, so I told her if she did it once more, she'd be stuck being called Bug. She did it again, so she got stuck with Bug, and it just became cute on her."

"She makes everything cute if you let her have it long enough," Gabriel chuckles.

Katniss asks "What else did she do to her?"

"She wasn't the most loving mother," Mr Trinket says, downing another shot. "If Euphemia so much as got a speck on her dress or her shoes, as anyone would in the situations that Clementine put her in, she'd get a thorough telling off, and possibly a tug on her hair if Clementine deemed it bad enough."

"Most of the time, Dad and I were at work, or we'd have stopped it," Gabriel says. 

"We failed Euphemia in many ways," his father agrees. "That's why neither of us were upset when you chose her, Haymitch. You've always looked out for her."

"I didn't do such a great job," Haymitch mutters darkly. "She's covered in scars she'll never get rid of because I failed her too."

"Did she treat the others the same way?" Katniss asks quietly.

"No, she was the perfect mother to Madison and Rosaline. Effie wasn't wanted by her mother," Mr Trinket tells her.

Katniss mutters "That doesn't excuse treating her that way. When we asked, Effie said that she wasn't truly wanted, but accepted and loved anyway."

"Euphemia has a strong love for her mother and sisters, and she'd never say anything bad against them. She's too sweet for her own good, so it makes perfect sense that she'd lie like a log to put them in a good light," he says, downing another shot. "You'll notice, over time, that she's a very gentle, kind soul really, and if she does hurt someone, she'll cry for hours afterward, even though she wasn't the one hurt."

Madison's husband nods. "Colard's got a point," he says. "When I first met her, I tried to stroke her hair and she started crying. She was... How old?"

"Six," Gabriel murmurs. "Six years of torment for her."

"And just after Cinder met her, Rosa brought me home. And that poor kid, she stayed as far away from everyone as she could get. She literally became a rock if Clementine walked past her," Rosaline's husband says.

Colard nods. "I'm glad she has you, Haymitch," he says. "But I need you to promise me that you'll put my baby girl first. She's a strong woman, but she needs someone there to support her when she falls. She loves you more than she can truly understand, and you need to tell her immediately if you really don't want to marry her."

"I want to marry her," Haymitch says. "I want nothing more. I don't care what happens, as long as she comes out okay."

Beetee quietly says "We should change the topic. It's sad to think of Effie's past. We should be focusing on the future she and Haymitch have together."

"Lots of purple wigged babies with drinking problems," Johanna says sagely as the waiter comes back with another round of shots, which Katniss pays for. "Ah, you're a good one, Everdeen."

"You owe me," Katniss chuckles, then looks lost for a moment. "What were we just talking about again?"

"Effie's depressing past," Enobaria reminds her. "And Beetee's decided that we should be focusing on the future Capitol baby drunks instead."

"He said the future Haymitch and Effie have, actually," Katniss says, her face clearing up as it comes back to her. "Johanna brought up the potential purple-wigged baby with a drinking problem."

"Anyone care that there's no problem  _left_?" Haymitch asks, looking around. "Just me? Okay."

**(^_^) (^_^) (^_^) (^_^) (^_^) (^_^)**

"That chick made you soft," Johanna scoffs. "If it weren't for her, you'd have drunk us all under the table."

"If it weren't for her, we wouldn't be sat here," Haymitch grumbles. "It's thanks to her that you lot aren't sat doing whatever you usually do of an evening, because without her, there'd be no reason for us to be here, because there'd be no wedding."

"And you'd be dead in a ditch somewhere," Katniss pipes in helpfully.

"Exactly. That Bug is the difference between boring and actually having something to do tonight," Haymitch says.

"All praise Baby Trinket," Rosaline's husband chuckles.

"Baby Trinket? Hunter, really?" Cinder asks, laughing.

"She's small and has a baby face for a woman nearing her thirties," Hunter says. "She's always going to be Baby Trinket to me."

Haymitch sighs, and just as he picks up his phone, it bleeps with an incoming text. "Really?" Beetee asks. "You're going on your phone?"

"Princess is texting me," Haymitch says, unlocking the phone with his code. The text reads  _I miss you. Come home, I need a snuggle, the children are sleeping on one sofa in a heap, Mother's drunk off our wine, Rosaline, Madison, and Abigail are fighting, Annie and Fulvia are feeling awkward, and I'm tired. Please? Your presence will mean that they know the night is over, and I really don't want to go to bed without you. Bug x_. "That's our cue to go home."

"What?" Johanna whines. "Why?"

"Her mom's drunk, the kids are asleep in a pile, Abigail, Rosaline, and Madison are arguing, Annie's uncomfortable, and Effie's tired," Haymitch says. "She doesn't want to go to bed until we're home, and she'll say something she regrets if she's not in bed before her mom's drunken insults come out."

"You're not staying with her tonight," Johanna scoffs. "Rules of tradition."

"Effie and I are staying together tonight," Haymitch insists. "We're not taking that tradition on. She has nightmares if she's left alone, and her panic attacks don't do her any favours. I'm going home."

He gets up and walks out, ready to go home and see Effie. When he walks in, it's chaos. The children are literally asleep in a heap on the sofa, Effie's on the verge of tears as her mother insults her and Haymitch in every way, her two sisters and Abby are all bellowing at each other, and Annie's just awkwardly staring into space, smartly avoiding everyone, while Peeta has left to get Willow fed. "Okay, what's going on?!" Haymitch booms, effectively silencing everyone.

"Haymitch," Effie squeaks in relief, bolting up to hug him. "I've missed you so much, squishy."

"I missed you too, beautiful," he murmurs, petting her. "Party's over, girls, so get your underage small beings and go to whatever hotel you're staying in tonight, Princess and I are going to bed."

"You can't stay together!" Annie gasps. "It's traditional!"

"Firetruck those traditions!" Effie squeaks. "I'm staying with my squishy tonight!"

"Firetruck?" Haymitch asks.

"I'm  _not_ using obscenities around my mother and small children, Haymitch," Effie murmurs, then speaks up again. "Please let us go to bed, I'm all tired out, and I already look all icky."

"You're not that bad," Haymitch says. "Mildly sleepy at worst."

"You're so cute," she hums, snuggling him as Johanna, Beetee, Plutarch, Colard, Enobaria, Cinder, and Hunter enter the house. "Hi."

"Hello," Colard says, smiling warmly at his daughter. "Clementine, come on."

"No! I don't want any child of mine marrying the scum of this rotten District!" Clementine shrieks.

"You're shouting, and Euphemia is marrying Haymitch whether you approve or not. Now come on, to the hotel so that you can vomit this out in peace," Colard says calmly, clearly too used to this. "Come on."

He half-drags her out, and Effie sighs as she hears her mother's angry yelling all the way out of the Village. Gabriel takes Abby's hand and softly says "Come on, my sweet. Let's grab our kids and go."

Abby nods and picks up Malachi, while Colard picks up Juniper. "See you tomorrow," Abby says softly, cuddling Malachi. "Sorry for ruining your night, Effie."

"It's fine, I had fun," Effie hums, half-asleep already.

Annie picks River up, then smiles. "I'll meet you in the Justice Building tomorrow, Effie, to prepare you for your big day," she says. "Jo, come on."

Johanna nods, then follows Annie out. Rosaline grabs the twins' pushchair, then stalks past Hunter without so much as a goodbye to her sisters and Haymitch. Madison picks up Dew and Blaze, and Cinder picks up Gadget and Glitch. "Thanks, Effie, Haymitch," Cinder says, following his wife. "I'll see you both tomorrow."

As soon as they've left, Plutarch hugs Fulvia, then says "Thank you both. I had a nice night with you, Haymitch."

"And I had fun with you, Effie," Fulvia adds. 

"It was lovely, thank you for coming," Effie says.

"Glad you had fun," Haymitch says, looking at Plutarch. 

"We'll see you both tomorrow," Plutarch says, then walks Fulvia to the door.

As soon as they're gone, Effie runs to lock the door, then slumps to the ground. "I'm  _so_ glad I only have to have one bachelorette party," she sighs. "Never again."

Haymitch chuckles and immediately picks her up. "Come on, gorgeous, our bed's waiting for us to go and lie in it," he says.

"That is the sweetest, most wonderful, and most  _blissful_ thing you've ever said," Effie sighs. "I'll make us some hot chocolate, babe, then we have something nice to drink before we get the delight of bed. Do you want marshmallows and cream?"

"Just the marshmallows, Bug, thanks," he sighs, following her to the kitchen. She gets out their mugs and a spoon, then starts to prepare their hot chocolate, boiling milk on the stove, and Haymitch plasters himself to her back, hugging her close. "I've really missed you. It's weird and uncomfortable without having you in kissing or grabbing distance."

"It's weird to go hours without being grabbed or kissed or spoken to nicely," Effie hums. "What did you all end up talking about?"

"You," he says. "By the way, I  _really_ hate your mom."

"Why?" she asks.

"The way she's treated you. Like it was your fault you exist. She had unprotected sex, according to your dad, and didn't expect to get pregnant. You'd think, after three kids, she'd have gathered that unprotected sex leads to babies," he mutters. "And how she just didn't care if you lived or died, and gave you emotional and verbal, and sometimes even physical abuse, and neglected you. She doesn't deserve to have a daughter like you."

"I'm safe with you," Effie murmurs. "Besides, I'm alive, that's what counts. You protected me, and you love me. I'm here with you. What she says doesn't matter any more."

"It's not fair on you," he murmurs. "I'm going to undo the damage she's done, even if it takes up the rest of my life."

"Sweetie, I don't care what she has to say. She's never liked me. I care what  _you_ have to say. You love me, and I love you. Let's not focus on the past, let's focus on the now, and right now, we're going to have hot chocolate with marshmallows, then we're going to bed and we're going to snuggle," she whispers, twisting her neck at an uncomfortable angle to kiss him. 

She makes their hot chocolates, then hands him his mug. "Are we going up to bed to drink these?" Haymitch asks, cuddling her.

"Yes," Effie sighs. "I want to be under my duvet, have my drink, cuddle you, and immediately sleep. I know we planned on sex tonight, but I really can't hold my eyes open for much longer."

"Neither can I," he admits. "We'll make up for it tomorrow night, agreed?"

"Definitely," she replies, then kisses him gently. They trudge upstairs, every step feeling like climbing a mountain, and place their mugs down before undressing as quickly as they can, and bolting under their duvet. Haymitch kisses Effie gently before grabbing his mug, and Effie seizes hers almost instantly. "I don't know about you, but I've  _missed_ our bed."

"Same," Haymitch sighs, sipping his drink with relief. "Oh, that's good."

"How much alcohol did they make you drink?" Effie asks softly.

"I had two shots and a glass of bourbon, then I stopped," he mutters. "I promised I wouldn't come home to you drunk."

She smiles and kisses him. "You're so sweet," she murmurs. "I wouldn't have been mad if you'd broken that promise, you know. I'd have helped you with the hangover."

"I know you would have, but I'd rather you got to just be spoiled all day tomorrow instead of dealing with my hangover," he chuckles. "So there you go, now you get the whole day to be the princess we both know you are."

"Aw," she coos. "This is a special day for us both, my love. You need to be spoiled too."

"I'm getting a beautiful wife out of this, and I'm getting fed. No amount of being spoiled will live up to that," he chuckles. "You get pampered, I get you. That's how this works."

"I'd fight, but I'm sleepy," she says, chugging her drink down. "I need a few hours worth of sleep."

Haymitch quickly chugs down his own drink, then lies down next to her, cuddling her small body close. "How much wine did you have?" he asks.

"A glass," she says. "I felt yucky after it, so I stopped. I could have used more, Mother got wasted very quickly."

"Have I mentioned that I hate your mother?" he asks.

"Only a thousand times," Effie hums. "Now, go to sleep, gorgeous."

She clutches him and rests her cheek on his chest. He holds her tightly, and just manages to murmur "I love you, Bug," before he's asleep.

Effie smiles, then murmurs "I love you too, squishy," before her eyes drift closed and she surrenders to the sleep that's been pulling at her for hours.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did warn you that it was like this, right? Anyway, as of chapter eighteen, we start to see some more Peeta/Effie and Katniss/Haymitch bonding, so I hope you're not put off by this absolute mind bomb of a chapter. 
> 
> As always, if you have any constructive criticism, ideas for outtakes you'd be interested in, questions, or any thoughts you'd like to share with me, there's a comment box just there. Have a nice week, and feel free to chat to me any time if you need a chat.
> 
> Much love and happiness to you all. Until next week. Cat xxx


	17. Pre-Wedding Jitters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haymitch and Effie have been escorted separately to the Justice Building for their wedding, and both of them are getting ready to get married, and they're having a few last-minute worries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone, and welcome back. We're heading into the pre-wedding hours, (title didn't give it away at all,) and it's a long one. I hope you're ready. It's not as heavy on fluff and goodness as the next one will be, but I hope you enjoy it. 
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games, its characters, or its world. All rights go to Suzanne Collins, and I am not Suzanne. I just like to play around with her characters.

"Now, don't forget to help him with his tie," Effie whispers to Peeta. "He has issues tying them, and everyone's determined that I don't see him before the ceremony, and-"

"Effie, I know. You've always been the one to tie his ties for him," Peeta says, smiling at her. "You need to go with Katniss and your mom now. I won't let Haymitch out looking anything less than the highest standard of Effie. I promise. Just go before he wakes up, those girls are going to give you the bridal makeover you deserve. Go on."

"Okay," Effie sighs nervously, then hugs him close. "Peeta, tell Haymitch that I said that I love him, will you? I don't want him to worry awfully."

"I promise, Effie," Peeta chuckles. "Now  _go_. Go and get dolled up."

He ushers Effie out of the house and locks the door behind her. Katniss grabs her impatiently and says "Come on, Blondie, we're going."

Effie looks back up at the house nervously, and a very hungover Clementine snaps "Euphemia, come on! We don't have all day, and you're freshly-showered ruin! You'll take hours to perfect!"

Effie sighs, then notices her dress's garment bag draped over Annie's arm. "Is that my dress?" Effie asks.

"Yes, it was labelled  _Effie's Wedding Gown_ , so I picked it up while you were showering," Annie says. 

Effie reaches inside and feels the fabric, then nods. "I had to check that nobody switched the labels over," she says. 

"And by nobody, do you mean your husband to be?" Clementine asks.

"Or Johanna," Effie replies. "Both of them like to mess with me."

"I can't believe you're in sweats," Katniss chuckles. "Effie Trinket in sweats. I never thought I'd see the day."

"And  _black_ sweats at that," Clementine says sadly. "I told you that black washes your pretty complexion out."

"You'll hate my dress, then," Effie giggles. 

"You made a black wedding gown?!" her mother shrieks, stopping dead.

"I did," Effie says, smiling. "I worked hard on this gown, and I happen to think it's beautiful."

"We have to rearrange your makeup choices! If you're in black, we need to think up something a little darker and more dramatic for your face!" Clementine wails. "How could you choose a  _black_ dress?!"

"I wanted something unique," Effie tells her sweetly. "Haymitch doesn't know anything about the dress yet."

"What are you dressing your bridesmaids in?" Clementine asks nervously.

"My bridesmaids have deep purple dresses to match the flowers and the decor. I made them practical, just so that they're suitable for every day use," she says. "I couldn't allow any of the clothes of my wedding party to be something mass-produced. I made you and Father outfits, too. Mother and father of the bride, and all that."

"Tell me it's not jet black," Clementine says. "You know I'm not as fond of dressing in black as you are, and I'm more suited to deep reds and oranges."

"I do," Effie says. "That's why, in accordance with the darker theme, I've chosen a beautiful shade of dark orange for your dress, and for Father's suit."

Clementine relaxes a little, but continues to whine about Effie wearing black on her wedding day until they get her into her room at the Justice Building. Once in there, Effie's met by Katniss's former prep team. "Effie!" they shriek as soon as they spot her.

"Oh my!" she gasps, running to hug them. "Hello! How come I didn't know you were coming?"

"Your husband to be invited us and told us to keep our mouths shut about it to you," Flavius tells her happily. "We wanted to be here to prepare you for your big day! We know to keep you as natural as possible, so you get yourself into your robe and we'll get you prepped. Katniss, if you could be a doll, would you grab a glass of rose for our lovely bride?"

"Wine at eleven in the morning?" Clementine asks. "She's marrying a drunk, not becoming one!"

"Mother!" Effie snaps, going from delighted to livid in half a nanosecond. "He is  _sober_ , and he's staying that way!"

Katniss hands Effie a glass of rose wine, then says "You're going to want this."

Effie smiles and places her glass down, then goes behind a screen to undress and put on her robe. Venia says "Okay, girls, out you go, we've got a lot to work on with our lovely bride!"

Clementine and Katniss walk out, and Clementine softly asks "May I take your daughter for a moment, Katniss? After all, from what I've heard, she's my great grandchild, isn't she?"

Effie returns from behind the screen in a soft black robe, then asks "Is there any way you three can remove  _all_ of my body hair?"

"Honey, we'll make you look stunning!" Octavia tells her. "How long do you need it gone for?"

"A minimum of two weeks," Effie says.

"How about six?" Venia asks. "Give him a nice surprise."

"Perfect," Effie replies, then allows the trio to start working on her. 

Flavius, working on her hair, happily comments "I love that you've taken such wonderful care of your hair, darling! Do you want anything doing to it?"

Effie smiles and asks "Would you consider making it black? I'd love to have black hair. Please?"

Without questioning her, Flavius starts to mix the perfect midnight black dye. "I'll have to dye your eyebrows, too," he tells her.

"That's fine, as long as they look nice," Effie says. "The more natural looking, the better."

They agree, and continue. Effie sighs and sips her wine with her free hand as Flavius dyes her hair, Octavia files and shapes her nails for painting, and Venia waxes her eyebrows for her. "Are you excited?" Octavia asks sweetly, smiling at Effie.

"Very much," Effie says, a small, pleased smile on her lips. "I'm just worried about him. I hope he's okay and not freaking out. This is big for both of us, and I hate to think of him worrying so."

"He's marrying the world's most beautiful, sweet woman," Venia says gently. "He won't be worried or freaked out. He knows what he's signing up for, you live with him."

"I know, but he's not very comfortable with confessing his love for anything more than his dinner in public, he's barely comfortable telling me he loves me in private," Effie sighs. "I'm scared that he's nervous, and I don't like not being there for him when he needs me."

Once her hair's coated in black dye, Flavius starts mixing an eyebrow dye to match her hair colour. "You could have gone for something  _far_ more adventurous than just black, dear," he laments, shaking his head a little."

"I like black," Effie says. "I want dark hair."

Flavius shrugs, then waits for Venia to soothe Effie's face with the post-wax healing lotion and wipe it off before he starts to dye her eyebrows. "How do you feel now, knowing you're marrying your childhood crush?" Octavia asks.

"I feel wonderful," Effie says dreamily. "Of course, I'm a little nervous, because he might change his mind at the altar, but hopefully he won't."

"Nobody in their right mind would leave you," Flavius says.

"Mom, a minute?" Peeta asks softly.

"She's busy, dear," Venia tells him.

"I don't need her to move, I just want to talk to her," Peeta says.

Effie smiles. "Come on, darling boy, come inside," she replies, blissfully happy under her beauty treatments.

"Everything you see here must be kept from the groom," Flavius tells him. 

Peeta chuckles, then says "Effie, Haymitch wants to know if you're okay. He can't relax without knowing how you are, and he's struggling to rehearse his vows. Are you getting cold feet or panicky? It's important I tell him."

"Do I look panicky?" Effie asks, smiling. "I'm not getting cold feet, I'm not panicking, I'm in a very happy, blissful state. Please tell him that I'm okay and that I'll see him when we're in the chapel together, and that I love him."

Peeta nods, then says "You look beautiful. The black hair suits you."

"Thank you, sweetheart," Effie coos lovingly. "Is he otherwise okay?"

"Yeah, he's staying off the booze and he's cursing everyone for not letting him come and see you. River's learned a new word beginning with  _F_ ," Peeta chuckles.

Effie groans " _Please_ tell me it's fork or firetruck."

"Not exactly, but it definitely  _rhymes_ with firetruck," Peeta chuckles. "River's having a blast."

"I think my wedding is about to be followed by a funeral," Effie sighs. "And within thirty seconds of being a newlywed, I'll be newly widowed."

Peeta chuckles "Want me to leave that out?"

"Yes please," Effie sighs. "And tell him that I'm having wine, so he's allowed a drink if he needs some alcohol to relax his nerves a little."

"Got you," Peeta says, then kisses her cheek. "You have fun being spoiled."

"I am, thank you," Effie says, kissing his cheek in return. "You enjoy your day, darling, it's to be enjoyable for us all."

Peeta leaves, letting the four Capitolites to their beauty treatments.

* * *

"I swear down, if you girls don't let me out to see my girl, I'll-" Haymitch snarls as Peeta walks in. "How is she?"

"She's fine, just as we said she is," Peeta says. "She's also said you can have a drink if you want one, as she's having some rose wine over there. And she told me to tell you that she's okay, she loves you, and she's excited to see you at the chapel for the ceremony."

"She's okay with me drinking?" Haymitch asks doubtfully.

"Only the one glass, just to take the edge off," Peeta clarifies. 

Haymitch says "Annie, pass me a glass of brandy."

Annie smiles and pours him a glass of brandy, then hands it over. "Here you go," she says, then studies his stubble, which is threatening to become a fully fledged beard. "I think you need a shave."

"I'll have it trimmed," Haymitch mutters. "Not clean-shaven, it looks ridiculous, and she likes the stubble burn."

Katniss, Annie, and Peeta all groan, but Johanna asks "Where does she like stubble burn?"

"Jo!" Annie squeals.

"No!" Katniss yelps.

"Oh, I'm going to vomit," Peeta mutters. "That's my  _mom_ , Haymitch, we don't like knowing about what she likes in the...  _Bedroom_."

"Cute that you think Bug and I stick to our room," Haymitch chuckles, trying to tie his tie and failing miserably.

"You never answered me," Johanna points out. "Where does your wife like stubble burn?" 

"Everywhere she can have it," Haymitch replies, wary of the two young adults who hate hearing about his and Effie's sex life. "I'll leave the rest to your imagination, Jo." 

Johanna grins at him and asks "How many times do you you two have sex a day?" 

"It depends on how she feels," he tells her. "Anywhere between one and fourteen times a day. Katniss, will you go and check on Effie? I don't want her to be on her own so much." 

"You do know she has people with her, right?" Katniss grumbles.

"Just check in with her, girl. She might be panicking, she doesn't like big life events happening to her. She cried for hours when you two got married," Haymitch orders firmly, almost harshly. 

Katniss rolls her eyes, then looks to Peeta. "If he gets any moodier, let him hold Willow. He calms down with her," she says lowly as she passes him. 

Katniss walks through the building to where she hears her prep team talking ecstatically and no sound from Effie. She opens the door and asks "Is Effie alive?"

"No," Effie hums peacefully. "I'm definitely not alive. I'm too comfortable and relaxed to be alive."

"Are you still okay to marry Haymitch? His ask, not mine," Katniss says, smirking a little at how relaxed Effie is in comparison to Haymitch.

Effie lets out a soft giggle. "I'm more than happy to marry him, darling. Tell him that I'm fine and completely ready for him," she sighs, still sounding a little too peaceful.

The younger woman looks at the wine glass and asks "How many has she had?"

"That's still her first," Flavius replies. "We offered her more, but she doesn't want more."

"Have you put anything in it?" Katniss asks suspiciously.

"No," Octavia replies. "She's always been easy to relax when she's being treated. She's got a foot spa going on down there, and her chair's heated and vibrating."

Venia says "And the scent of lavender candles is just helping her relax. We know Effie's treatment preferences on big events."

"So she's not drugged?" Katniss asks. "Because I don't think her dad wants to drag her down the aisle."

"Why would I drag my daughter down the aisle?" Colard Trinket asks, then spots his daughter's towel turban. "Is she in her pamper coma?"

"Yes," Venia says fondly. "Haymitch is insisting on sending the best man and bridesmaid to check on her."

"I'm just here to check that Euphemia's alive," Colard chuckles. "She's never this quiet."

"I'm most definitely  _not_ alive," Effie hums, contentedly stretching. "There's no way I'd ever be this unable to feel my toes if I was alive."

"Why can't you feel your toes?" Katniss asks.

"They're warm," Effie sighs happily. "And buzzy. Very, very buzzy. It's nice."

Colard smiles and says "You need to return to us soon, my girl, you need to be dressed in the next fifteen minutes, your wedding starts in twenty."

Effie lets out a happy noise, then hums "I'll come back in a few minutes. Katniss, please go and tell Haymitch that I'm fine and will see his gorgeous face at the altar."

"Definitely never calling Haymitch gorgeous, but I'll give him your message," Katniss says, rolling her eyes at Effie's use of the word  _gorgeous_. She returns to Haymitch to find him holding Willow and smiling. "Your girlfriend is in some kind of pampered bliss state, and she said she's eager to see you at the altar. She is also very much blind, because she said you're gorgeous."

"Wow, sweetheart, want to turn the charm down? That almost sounded like a come on," Haymitch deadpans, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Is she okay, though?"

"She's fine, just sort of out of it. Something about buzzing toes. Whatever they've done to her, you can guarantee she's not stressed by it," Katniss says, then straightens up Haymitch's suit. "You need to let me trim that porcupine, Effie will kill something if she sees you with half a badger on your face."

"Badger?" Haymitch asks.

"Black, white, and huge," Katniss says. "Normally I'd have said  _skunk_ , but you've showered and have deodorant and cologne on today."

Haymitch glares at her, his arms too full of Willow to shove her away. "You know, how you charmed two guys into ever liking you is beyond a normal man's comprehension, sweetheart," he tells her coldly.

"How you got a woman to agree to marry you in your state is more far-fetched than that," Katniss fires back. "At least I look presentable most days."

"My Bug knew she was agreeing to a wreck of a husband when she said yes. Did the boy know he was agreeing to marry a whiny child?" Haymitch asks, getting a bit too angry for anyone to be comfortable with.

"Kat, back off," Peeta says. "Banter and teasing is all well and good, but actually upsetting him's off limits, and you know it."

As if to fire one more hurtful shot at Haymitch, Katniss takes Willow out of his arms and stalks off, saying "I'm going to go and make sure the hall's ready for the ceremony to start."

Haymitch makes a face, then gets up and grabs a razor and some shaving foam. Peeta wraps a plastic bag around Haymitch's neck and says "I'm sorry about her attitude, she's really fed up with big scenes being made."

"Yeah, I get that," Haymitch grumbles. "As long as she keeps that attitude away from Effie, I don't care."

Privately, Peeta doesn't think that Katniss has it in her to keep her negative comments quiet, but he doesn't want to voice this concern when Haymitch is already so tense. Haymitch shaves the beard down to stubble before he wipes his face clean. He's just got the plastic wrap off when Colard pokes his head in. "Haymitch, come on. Effie's nearly ready, you need to be at the altar," he tells him.

Haymitch nods, his heart jumping into his throat at the thought of finally getting to see Effie again. The hours they've been apart feel like years to him, and all he wants is to have her back in his reach. He clears his throat, then says "Better get moving, then."

Colard nods, and leads Haymitch down the corridor to the main hall. Just before they enter, Colard asks "Haymitch, how certain are you of this? This is my daughter you're about to marry, and I don't want you to do this just because she wants to get married. I want you to be sure of her, of how you feel for her. Can you tell me wholeheartedly that you love my baby girl and will love her this way forever?"

"If having her be my worst nightmare didn't stop me loving her, marrying her definitely won't," Haymitch tells him. "I promise you, your daughter's nothing short of my world. I'll never be more sure of anything than I am of her and how much she means to me."

Colard studies him critically, then says "I hope you mean that, because if my daughter comes to me heartbroken because your marriage has failed, I will make sure nobody finds your corpse."

"Understood," Haymitch says. "I'll be glad of the assistance, I won't be able to move my own corpse if it fails."

With that, Colard leads Haymitch inside, where Clementine tugs him to the altar. Colard sighs, then goes to get Effie. He walks in to see Effie standing in the middle of the room, and the first thing he sees is the bright, glowing smile on her face as she stares at her reflection. Once he's got over how happy his daughter looks, he notices her new hair colour. "Euphemia! Your hair!" he gasps.

Effie smiles, touching the midnight black curls. "I know, it's new," Effie giggles. "I think it's pretty, don't you?"

"Beautiful, as is everything you do," Colard tells her, taking her in. Her hair falls down in curls, crowned by a braid around the top and a silver tiara that holds a sheer, black veil over her face. Looking down, he takes in the strapless black dress. It's laced in a corset at the top, and flows freely from the waist down in ruffled fabric, wrapped elegantly around her hips, and pools around her feet, hiding her feet. "You look beautiful, my sweet girl."

"Thank you," Effie replies, beaming. She almost glides as she strolls to him, and wraps her arms around him. "You know you'll always be my first love, Daddy."

Colard chuckles, trying his best not to cry at that statement. He strokes her hair and says "Euphemia, I have something for you."

"Mm?" she squeaks curiously, looking up at him innocently.

He takes a little box out of his pocket and says "On the day you were born, your mother told me to go out and get something for your wedding. We did it for your brother and both of your sisters. Well, I didn't think we were going to keep you, your mother didn't want another baby so late in our lives, so I didn't get anything that would potentially harm a baby, as I would have given it to you immediately. Had I known you'd stay, I'd have chosen something more appropriate to a grown woman." He hands her the box and says "It's okay if you choose not to wear it, I know it's not what you're into now."

Effie opens the box to reveal a locket with an  _E_ on it. Inside is a picture of her as a newborn baby, a picture of her from the last time she'd visited them, and a note. "It's beautiful. Thank you," she whispers, closing the locket. "I'll read the note tonight, I can't cry just yet, it'll ruin my makeup, and I can't show up looking like a drowning raccoon."

Colard chuckles again, much more gruffly than before, and watches as she puts the locket on. "It's hard to believe that you're old enough to get married," he tells her softly, his vision blurring. "It doesn't seem like two minutes since I was told that I had a third little girl and your mom passed you to me."

Effie whimpers and hugs him again. "Don't... I'm going to cry," she whispers, squeezing him. 

"Is she ready?" Clementine asks, then spots her husband and youngest daughter hugging. "Let me see you, Euphemia, come on."

Effie reluctantly leaves Colard's arms to show her mother how she looks. "What do you think?" she asks timidly.

"Well, I wouldn't have dyed your hair black or dressed you entirely in black, but you look beautiful. I see your father's given you the locket... And where did you get that bracelet?" Clementine asks.

"Haymitch," Effie says. "He gave it to me yesterday before he went out."

"Oh. Very well. You look beautiful, my girl. Now, are you sure you want to get married?" Clementine asks.

"Yes. My answer won't change," Effie says firmly, softening her tone with a smile. "I love him."

"Well, good, because he's waiting," Clementine says. "Colard, you need to be with her, I know she's been a bit unwell lately."

"I heard," Colard says. "That said, how do you plan to travel for your honeymoon?"

"With a toilet at hand," Effie replies, smiling. "I also have travel pills in my bag."

"Good girl," Colard murmurs, then hugs her again. "Let's get you married."

Effie smiles and links arms with her father. Clementine enters the hall first, and gets everyone ready while Colard and Effie prepare to walk in. Effie breathes deeply, eager to see Haymitch. "I can't believe it's happening," she whispers excitedly.

Colard smiles and the doors open. "Come on, your husband is waiting," he murmurs, and holds his daughter's arm as they walk in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here we are, the big moments are coming! I hope you enjoyed seeing Haymitch all stressy over a big event for a change, haha. What are you all thinking of things so far? Let me know, please! By now, you all know what the drill is, so I hope you have stuff you want to share, and that you've had a good week.
> 
> Much love and happiness to you all. Until next week. Cat xxx


	18. Saying "I Do"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The moment Haymitch and Effie have been waiting for is finally here, and nothing makes them happier than to finally be near each other again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, everyone! I'd just like to say, if you're still reading this, thanks for sticking with me!
> 
> Now, here goes! We finally get to see Haymitch and Effie tie the knot! About time, too! I hope you're just as excited as I am by this. Bring tissues, it might make you emotional. And please read the end notes as there's something there that you may be interested in. ;)
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games, its characters, or its world. All rights go to Suzanne Collins, and I am not Suzanne. I just like to play around with her characters.

The doors open into the main hall, and everyone immediately cranes their neck for a glimpse of the bride. Haymitch looks up eagerly as soon as the music starts, and his jaw drops at the sight of Effie in the doorway. Peeta smiles a little and sneakily pushes Haymitch's jaw closed. Haymitch is too transfixed by Effie to notice a thing. Meanwhile, Effie's eyes are glued to Haymitch, and anyone can see the light from her smile radiating around her, despite the veil. There's no denying that, to them, there's nobody else in the world. Effie glides up the aisle, and neither she nor Haymitch completely registers the mayor asking "Who gives this woman to marry this man?"

Colard swallows hard before he says, in an extremely strangled voice, "I do."

Effie turns and gives her father a kiss on the cheek before allowing him to place her hand on Haymitch's. Haymitch gently squeezes Effie's hand, smiling at her. She beams back at him from underneath her veil. They approach the mayor, who gestures for the guests to sit. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the union of two souls in a sacred bond," the mayor begins, almost smiling himself as he realises that the couple in front of him don't have any awareness of their surroundings. "Before we proceed, does anyone have any objections or reasons as to why they should not be wed?"

River chooses that moment to pipe in with "When do we has cake?!"

Laughter all around, and Annie hisses  _"Later,_ River, hush!"

Nobody objects, and the mayor chuckles "Well, in that case, we may start. Haymitch, will you take Euphemia Sienna Trinket to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, to love and to cherish, for better and for worse, for as long as you may live?"

"I will," Haymitch says quietly, so entranced by Effie that he doesn't know how to hate being watched by everyone they know.

"And do you take her for richer and for poorer, in sickness and in health, through thin and through thick, as long as you may live?" the mayor asks loudly, trying to make sure he's heard over their own captivation with each other.

"I do," Haymitch says, barely focusing on what he's saying as he watches Effie.

"The ring, please," the mayor says, and Haymitch takes Effie's ring from Peeta without so much as glancing away from Effie. "Repeat after me. I, Haymitch Abernathy."

"I, Haymitch Abernathy," Haymitch repeats.

"Take you, Euphemia Trinket," the mayor says.

"Take you, Euphemia Trinket," Haymitch copies, gazing at Effie with more love than he's ever shown in public.

"As my lawfully wedded wife," the mayor recites.

"As my lawfully wedded wife," Haymitch says, smirking slightly at Effie.

"With this ring, I pledge to you my eternal faithfulness," the mayor finishes.

"With this ring, I pledge to you my eternal faithfulness," Haymitch copies, then slides the ring onto Effie's finger.

"And will you, Euphemia, take Haymitch Abernathy to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, to love and to cherish, for better and for worse, for as long as you may live?" the mayor asks, still trying to be heard over the invisible bubble they have around them.

"I will," Effie replies, gazing up at Haymitch, almost completely unaware of the rest of the world.

"And do you take him for richer and for poorer, in sickness and in health, through thin and through thick, as long as you may live?" the mayor asks, deciding that the best way to communicate with them is to shout.

"I do," Effie breathes, leaning even closer to Haymitch as if going in for a hug.

"The ring, please," the mayor says, and Peeta gives the ring to Effie. "Repeat after me. I, Euphemia Sienna Trinket."

"I, Euphemia Sienna Trinket," Effie repeats softly.

"Take you, Haymitch Abernathy," the mayor continues, grateful to have an active listener now.

"Take you, Haymitch Abernathy," Effie whispers.

"As my lawfully wedded husband," the mayor says.

"As my lawfully wedded husband," Effie copies, a tiny smile playing on her lips at the words.

"With this ring, I pledge to you my eternal faithfulness," the mayor finishes reciting.

"With this ring, I pledge to you my eternal faithfulness," Effie copies, sliding Haymitch's ring onto his finger.

"Then with the power vested in me by the state of Panem, I now declare you husband and wife," the mayor says, clearly thankful that he might actually get through to them. 

Haymitch lifts Effie's veil gently, taking care not to take her hair with it, or hurt her in any way, and smiles down at her, almost terrified to kiss her for fear of waking up in bed and having this whole thing be a really great dream. She reaches up and cups his cheek, a knowing smile on her lips, and that does it. He leans down and kisses her gently, winding his arms around her waist to pull her close. Neither one notices their guests standing up and giving them cheers and applause, too wrapped up in their kiss. It takes Johanna's yell of "Get a room!" to break their kiss.

Haymitch looks at Effie, then hugs her tightly, murmuring "I missed you," into her ear.

"I missed you too," she whispers back.

The mayor brings them a little stand and some pens to sign their wedding documents, while their guests watch. They sign the papers together, sharing little pecks and nuzzling at each other as much as possible. 

* * *

A fifteen minute walk later, they're in the meadow, which has been decked out with flowers, tables, chairs, and a sound booth, ready for a party. Effie snuggles up to Haymitch and whispers "I can't believe we're married, my love. It's finally happened."

"It's not over yet, beautiful," he murmurs, giving her a kiss just behind her ear.

There's a circle of stones a little way away from the dancefloor, and Effie smiles. "The toasting?" she asks.

"The toasting," he murmurs back, gently rubbing her stomach. "What do you say, beautiful?"

"Absolutely," she murmurs. "Does this open the buffet?"

"Yeah, of course it does," he chuckles. "And we have to cut the cake straight after."

"Okay," she hums. "The sooner, the better, I'm  _starving_. Nobody fed me today."

He kisses her and takes her to where their guests are gathering around the stone circle. "Best get this started, I don't want you to faint," he murmurs.

Haymitch sits down first, in full knowledge that Effie's going to need cuddles, and extends his hand to her. She sits beside him and snuggles up to him, determined to be glued to him. Their guests all sit around the circle with them, and River asks "Mama, what happen?"

"This is a toasting, River, like Auntie Katniss and Uncle Peeta had a few months ago," Annie explains quietly.

Once everyone's sat down, Haymitch takes out a matchbox and hands it to Effie. She smiles up at him and takes out a match, allowing him to take it from her while she gives him a kiss. She holds the box still for him and he strikes the match until it catches fire, then he quietly whispers "Together."

Effie smiles and whispers "Together," then wraps her hand around his as he brings the match closer to the pile of wood in the middle of the stone circle. The wood ignites almost immediately, and there's some applause from people around the circle. "Where's the bread?"

Peeta hands over the little package of bread he's brought with him, just the two slices, and Haymitch reveals the plastic-wrapped metal sticks hidden in the grass. Effie giggles at that, amused by Haymitch's ways of surprising her, and she takes one of the sticks from him with a kiss on his cheek, then takes a slice of bread from Peeta. She skewers the bread while Haymitch does the same. Effie slowly puts the bread in the fire, rotating it carefully so that she doesn't burn it, and chews on her lip as she concentrates on not turning the bread into ashes. Once she feels that it's perfectly toasted, she pulls it from the fire and carefully takes it off its stick, offering it to Haymitch. he smirks at her and takes the bread, then toasts his slice, just as cautious with it as she was. Once it's out, he hands it to her and asks "Did you write anything, sweetheart?"

"No," Effie says quietly. "I know it's a part of the tradition, but I also know  _you_. You hate long, drawn out declarations of love, and you know that I love you beyond measure already, so I didn't write anything about how you're the love of my life. I will tell you this, though. Whatever happens, you're stuck with me. We'll have to work through hard times together and be each other's rock."

He smirks and says "Agreed. I'm glad you didn't write anything, because I really didn't want everyone else hearing exactly what I think of you when we have our whole lives for that stuff. That said, you're the best thing I've ever had, and I'm glad I'm stuck with you. There's nobody I'd rather suffer through life with than you."

"Aww," she giggles, then kisses him gently.

He glances at her toast and says "I did wash my hands, Bug, you can eat that and not get sick."

"I was waiting for you to eat," Effie murmurs, smiling at him.

He takes a bite of the toast and watches her nibble at her slice. "You're still a princess even now," he chuckles.

"Wait until that buffet opens, and you tell me if I'm still a princess," she challenges.

He laughs and gets up, then helps her to her feet. "Come on, you can eat on the way to the wedding cake, beautiful. I want to get some real sustenance down you," he says, then kisses her nose gently.

She eats the bread ravenously, and Haymitch devours his in seconds, sparing no thought for manners or Effie's delicate digestive system. "Ew," she mutters. "Do you have to wolf your food down that way?"

"Yeah," Haymitch replies. "Force of habit. Do you have to be that cute all the time?"

"Not if you stop thinking my childish behaviour is cute, I don't," she replies softly.

He kisses her head gently, then rubs her lower back. "I don't think you're childish," he tells her quietly. "I mean, you're not grown up by a long shot, but you're not that childish. You can be mature when you need to be."

Effie smiles and snuggles up to him. "So you don't think that my attitude is that of a spoiled brat? Because I often feel like I'm just behaving like a child, and that annoys me," she says, dropping her hand to gently squeeze his behind. 

"I think you act like the young woman you are but never really got to be," he replies. "You're like a twenty two year old, in terms of behaviour."

She grins and murmurs "Guess who just guaranteed himself kinky sex tonight."

He grins back and bends his head to hers, whispering "I've got a few ideas, beautiful."

"Cake!" River squeals, running eagerly towards the table with the wedding cake on it. "Cake!" 

Annie grabs her son just as he reaches the table, and scoops him up. "River, you need to wait for Uncle Haymitch and Auntie Effie to cut the cake before you can have any," she tells him softly.

Haymitch chuckles and asks "Bug, shall we put the little guy out of his cake-flavoured misery?"

Effie laughs, then nods. "I think we should, the darling boy has been very patient, and I fear that our guests are hungry," she replies, snuggling closer to him. 

They walk over to Annie and her squirming son, and Haymitch asks "River, do you want to do us a  _big_ favour?"

"Yeah!" River exclaims eagerly, squirming toward Haymitch. Haymitch immediately takes him from Annie's arms, hugging the little boy tightly. "What I got to do?"

"Can you tell everyone that we're going to cut the cake?" Haymitch asks, looking at the small child gravely, as though it's the most important thing that'll happen all day. 

"Okay!" River squeaks. A second of still being held passes and he asks "Does I not need to be on floor, Mitt?" 

"That might help you run, I guess," Haymitch chuckles, lowering River to the ground. "You go tell everyone that the cake's about to be cut. Then you can have the first slice."

River runs off, shrieking about the cake, and Effie kisses Haymitch's cheek  "You're so good with him," she whispers. "I love seeing you with children."

Haymitch grins and slides his hand behind them, his fingers brushing on her bottom. "One day, you'll see it all the time," he mutters, watching their guests approach, River chanting about the cake. Haymitch barely has time to squeeze Effie's behind before she's ushering him to the table holding their cake. "Bug, I know where the cake is."

"I was making sure," she deadpans, giving him a mildly irritated look.

He rolls his eyes before gently kissing her lips. "Don't get mad at me now, we're supposed to be happy," he whispers. 

"We are, aren't we?" she murmurs, her eyes wide. "I'm not really mad at you."

He nods, winding his arm around her waist and standing her in front of him. She picks up the cake knife, and Haymitch grabs her wrist. She looks over her shoulder, confused, and he whispers "Together. Trust me."

Her confusion morphs into a delighted smile, and she allows him to guide her hand in cutting the cake. Once it's cut, they slide it off the platter and onto a small plate with a fork and Effie kneels in front of River. "Here, darling, as promised," she says gently, smiling warmly at him. 

"Fang you, Flea," he says happily. 

Effie presses a kiss to River's forehead, then stands up to help Haymitch cut the rest of the cake. They dish it out, and as soon as it's dished out, Haymitch says "Okay, we can consider the buffet open. Bug, let's get you fed."

Effie squeaks eagerly, taking both of their plates to the buffet table. "Food is life," she sighs happily, grabbing a separate plate for her food.

Haymitch chuckles and gets his own plate, unable to tear his eyes off Effie as she gathers a lot of sweet snacks. "Don't you want to have something filling, sweetheart?" he asks as she picks up a cupcake that's piled high with frosting. 

"Not really," she replies. "I've got a real craving for sweet things at the moment."

"So you don't want so much as a pie?" he asks, offering her a meat pie. 

"Not unless it's got apples, blackcurrants, or cherries in it, I don't," she scoffs. "This Bug's on a sugary rampage."

"You're going to be sick on the train to Four, Bug," he sighs. 

"I don't care, I'll be sick no matter what I eat," she says nonchalantly. "I might as well enjoy eating it if I'll be sick anyway." 

Haymitch lets out a sigh, but lets her do as she pleases. "I'll order food when we get on the train," he tells her softly, rubbing her back.

"We're going to be together forever," she giggles. "Keeping me is easy as long as you keep me fed. Otherwise, I'm moving into a restaurant where they do keep me fed."

"I love that you would leave him if he didn't keep you fed," Johanna chuckles, appearing next to Effie. 

"If I couldn't feed her properly, I'd force her to move somewhere where they'd feed her right," Haymitch says. "I've seen her starved, and I never want to see it again."

"You won't, my love," Effie coos. "We'll never have to go without again."

He doesn't look convinced, even though he nods his acknowledgement of her words. He broods on it for a few minutes, until Effie notices. She rests her hand on his shoulder and tuts quietly as he startles. "What did you say?" he asks, as if he's just not heard her speak.

"I didn't," she says. "You were getting all moody because of the food thing, and it worried me. Sweetest, I promise you that the way things were are firmly in the past. We'll never have to worry about food, or money, or our home ever again. We have everything we need. It's okay. Please let it go, my love, we'll only have one true wedding reception in our lives that's actually ours, you deserve to enjoy it."

He rolls his eyes and mutters "I want to make certain that I can provide for you, and any future baby Bugs. It's not always a guarantee that we'll have the life we have, sweetheart."

"We can worry about that some other time. Please come back to me, enjoy having today," she begs, allowing her worry to show.

He hugs her close and murmurs "Okay. Okay. I'll worry about it tomorrow, after I'm done making sure you can't move." 

"Does that mean you're going to tie me up, or you're going to give me so much sex that my body gives in?" she asks, kissing his neck gently as she sets her plate down on a small table behind him. 

"The latter," he murmurs huskily into her ear. "Why waste time tying you up when I could spend it kissing every inch of your body? Tying you up is a completely useless exercise." 

"We'll see," she whispers back, her newly-freed hand sliding down his back to grope his behind as she pushes her hips to his. "In the meantime, you can imagine what I might have in store for you."

"I look forward to whatever you do, sweetheart," he chuckles, kissing her jawline.

"Hey, either get a room or have a cold shower!" Katniss shouts. "Nobody here wants to see you two have sex!"

Grinning, they break apart and Haymitch replies "If that makes you uncomfortable, girl, just be grateful you won't be in the same hotel as us tonight."

Groans of disgust come from Effie's family and the younger victors, where the elder victors and some of Effie's friends laugh at him. "Haymitch, you don't need to announce our plans to everyone else. None of them are joining us, that room won't take just us, let alone group sex," she says, smirking at him, then looks down. "I do believe you need a cold shower, my love. Everyone can see how much you want to escape right now."

He grins and squeezes her to him. "I hate you," he chuckles, kissing her forehead. "You're a little ball of evil."

"Yes," she replies, smiling broadly. "I'm  _your_ little ball of evil, though. Now, I want to eat all my sugary mess, then we're getting on the dance floor."

"Fine by me," Haymitch chuckles, then turns and picks up her plate. "Let's go and sit down."

She allows him to lead her to their table, blushing as he pulls her chair out for her. "Thank you," she whispers, sitting down in the offered seat. He chuckles and sits beside her, then kisses her cheek. He places her plate in front of her, and she smiles at him gratefully, murmuring "Thank you, darling."

He smirks and digs back into his own food, trying and failing not to wolf his food down. He finishes way before her, and chuckles "Even with your sugar rampage and hunger, you're still so delicate, Bug."

"I'm not really the animalistic kind with food," she giggles softly. "There are other places that I get animalistic in."

"Save it for later, I can't do anything to you here," he laughs. "Too many witnesses, none of whom needs to see you naked."

"I think a few of our guests already have," she whispers. "My parents and siblings changed my diapers and bathed me when I was little, after all."

Haymitch sags a little with relief that she hasn't brought up the cells, and chuckles "Yeah, but you know what I mean. Nowadays, they wouldn't want to see you naked, much less see you naked with me between your thighs."

"True," she giggles, then kisses him. "I want to see that often."

She finishes her food at a speed that should make her very, very nauseous, then stands. She immediately groans, and he gets up, touching her back. "You're feeling ill again, aren't you?" he asks worriedly. "So much sugar in so little time will do that, beautiful. Do you need to sneak behind a tree and throw up?"

"No," she breathes slowly. "No. I'll be okay until I can get to a toilet. I refuse to be sick here. Come, let's dance."

"Are you sure?" he asks quietly.

"Yes," she replies, less confidently than either of them would like, but still confidently enough that he knows not to argue with her. "Come on. It'll be fun."

He sighs, but follows her anyway. The music that has been providing ambience to the reception suddenly changes from soothing classical to a country love song, a cover of a pre-Dark Days song that talks of a man who has found his true love, and how his past has led him to his love. Haymitch holds Effie close, praying with everything he has that she doesn't start crying or vomiting, and whispers "When you first played this song, I hated how sappy it is."

"I love this song," she whispers. "Nowadays, it makes me think of you."

"Yeah, it resonates with me now," he murmurs into her hair. "Nothing fits as well as this does. He says that his past lovers were his Nothern stars, leading him into her arms."

"The same could be said for me," she hums. "My past loves pointed me to you."

He nods, leading her in a slow circle around the clearing in time with the music. After a minute, Haymitch whispers "Kind of weird how fitting it is, actually. You and I could have had years together if we hadn't been so set against it."

"We're going to have years and years together," she whispers. "We'll make sure of it."

He sighs quietly at that reassurance, then says "We will. We've made it this far."

"We have," she whispers. "And we've done brilliantly so far. Our future will be nowhere near as rough as our past, babe. I promise."

Koil Flagtree's song stops two minutes of slow circling later, and other people join the dance floor to dance to the rest of the soundtrack. "That went better than I thought it would," Haymitch murmurs. "You've been rehearsing that."

"No, it's ingrained from years of forced dancing with you," she murmurs, looking a little green. "I really think that we've improved. We work almost as one being now."

He nods, then strokes her cheeks. "We do. You look like you're about to be sick, sweetheart. You could have taken your time with your food, I wouldn't have rushed you," he says, worry shimmering clearly in his eyes. "Are you sure you don't need to go and vomit behind a tree?"

"These guests will notice if I slip away," she whispers nervously.

"Yeah, and they'll notice if the bride vomits all over the place, too," he says. "Come on, we'll both go. They'll just think we slipped away to have a quickie."

She bites her lip, but her sudden wave of nausea encourages her to nod. "Okay, quick," she whispers, and he tugs her into the trees surrounding the meadow. He directs her behind an old oak, and stands guard. The sounds of heaving and vomiting make him worry for her, and eventually, she comes back, her skirt mercifully clean. "I miss the days when sugar made me hyperactive instead of sick."

"It probably still  _would_ make you hyperactive if you ate slower," he tells her, cuddling her. "We'll go back, and we'll have to get something real in you. You're not going to feel better if you don't eat right."

"My stomach's feeling all yucky, I don't want to eat," she sighs. "I want to go and just enjoy our party and go on our honeymoon. I'll eat when my tummy's settled down again."

"Okay, beautiful, but the minute you start getting weak and shaky on me, you're having something to eat. And you need to have some water, you lost fluids too," he tells her firmly.

"Okay. A drink will soothe my throat," she agrees softly. "I wish I'd listened to you."

"Eating that quickly, Bug, you'll be sick regardless," he tells her softly, winding his arm around her waist as they walk to the drinks table. He picks up some water and hands it to her. "Sip it slowly, you might vomit again if you go too fast."

"I know, I know," she sighs. "I don't need to be babied this much."

He chuckles slightly. She sips the water slowly and snuggles up to him. He holds her tightly, softly kissing her forehead. "You're beautiful," he tells her quietly.

"Says you," she whispers.

Enobaria and Johanna approach the newlyweds, and Johanna immediately asks, far too loudly for Haymitch or Effie's liking, "Trinket, are you bulimic or something? Why do you keep vomiting so much?"

"I didn't," Effie says softly, going pink.

"As someone with a lot of experience in the vomit department, I can easily tell that that's a lie," Enobaria scoffs, then a horrorstruck look appears on her face. "Oh,  _no_. No. You're not...?"

"No," Effie sighs wearily. "Haymitch, I think we should start charging for every time one of us is asked if I'm pregnant until we can say yes to it."

Haymitch nods, sick of hearing it himself. "We should. People might actually stop asking invasive questions if we do that," he mutters. 

Effie smiles and kisses his cheek. "We can get to making tonight," she whispers. "After snacks."

"Agreed," he chuckles. "Now, you two, go take your own baby obsession somewhere else. We've got a party to enjoy."

He leads Effie back to the dance floor and kisses her lips gently. She murmurs "I really adore you."

* * *

"Okay, you two, you'd better have everything," Katniss says. "I refuse to come to you on your honeymoon because you forgot a vibrator or something."

"We have everything," Effie says, then hugs both her and Peeta. "I'm going to miss you two and little Willow so much! I promise to call you every morning so that we can stay updated, and I want daily pictures of all of you."

"Okay," Peeta agrees. "As long as you don't spend every waking moment worrying about us."

"If I get my way, she won't spend so much as one moment out of our hotel room," Haymitch chuckles, hugging both Peeta and Katniss at once. 

"Oh,  _gross_!" they yelp in unison, only being released from Haymitch's grip when he's done hugging, which they're grateful for happening quickly. 

"Honey," Effie sighs. "They do not need any images of how their future siblings are being made. They like thinking we're celibate."

"I liked thinking of them being celibate, and now they have a little ball of Everdeen and Mellark genes to prove otherwise," Haymitch mutters, kissing Willow's little face. "It's a good job you're pretty, because it distracts me from the fact that you're the product of your parents."

He hands Willow to Effie, who smiles at her. "You be a good little nugget for Mommy and Daddy, okay?" she coos. "I'll know. And I'll come home to cover you in kisses."

Willow makes a soft noise and Effie presses a kiss to her little button nose before handing her back to Peeta. "You two stay safe, all right?" Peeta asks, concern in his eyes.

"We will," Haymitch says, hugging Effie. "She'll be texting you the second we arrive."

"I really will," Effie says. "I expect replies."

"We'd give you nothing less," Peeta tells her. "Enjoy."

"And no coming back with a baby on board, nobody's ready for that," Katniss warns.

"We are," Haymitch chuckles. "So suck it up."

"Passengers to District Four, board now!" the train attendant calls.

Effie tugs Haymitch to the train. "Get on!" she squeaks. "Honeymooning awaits!"

He chuckles and follows her. "I'm coming, sweetheart," he says.

"Not before I've had my fun, you don't," she giggles.

"Effie!" Katniss and Peeta yelp.

"See you!" Effie calls cheerfully, closing the train door behind Haymitch. They wave at the younger couple until they're specks in the distance, then Effie turns to Haymitch. "Shall we get some food?"

"You read my mind, Bug," he chuckles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaa! They're married! Precious little squishes! ^_^ ^_^ Okay, now I have that out of my system. I hope you enjoyed this, and that you didn't cry too much. 
> 
> Now, the thing I mentioned earlier: Just because Halloween is coming up, I was thinking of doing a small collection of spooky one shots. If you have any prompts, you can message them to me on Twitter (@BlackCatS46), in a comment here, or in a review on my one shots series over on fanfiction net, where I have the same username. 
> 
> Also, as always, if you have anything you want to share with me, let me know below, I'm always eager to hear your thoughts and any constructive criticism you have.
> 
> That said, hope you've all had a nice week, and that this next one treats you well. Love and happiness to you all. Cat xxx


	19. Honeymooning In Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haymitch and Effie are almost in District Four, ready for their honeymoon, and naturally, they find things to be angry about, and things to (loudly) enjoy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! So, as you know, last week, no update. Here's why: I was out last Tuesday night, and had no internet connection, and as it was the night before Halloween, I figured nobody would be around to read it anyway. It's just one of those things. Also, last week, who else got their tenth anniversary editions of The Hunger Games?
> 
> Anyway, this week, I've been exhausted, so writing this chapter has nearly killed my brain off entirely, and I'm incredibly sorry for the way it's written. It's not as good as I'd like, even after multiple edits and rewrites, but it's better than what I'd originally written. As always, things are explained later on in the story that aren't quite adding up here.
> 
> So now that I've bored you all to tears with this, I'll add in the disclaimer, and you guys can all go ahead and read the chapter.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games, its characters, or its world. All rights go to Suzanne Collins, and I am not Suzanne. I just like playing around with her characters.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are now arriving in District Four. Please make sure that you have all of your luggage," the tannoy says, and Effie gently pokes Haymitch. 

"Honey, we're nearly there," she mumbles. "We need our bags."

Haymitch groans, then gets up. "Two hours isn't a long enough nap for this, Bug," he sighs, grabbing their bags from the storage rack above them.

"I know," she mutters, getting up to help him.

He gently sits her back down. "No way. You're not doing any heavy lifting. You need all the energy you can get, and any real lifting will make you do your vomiting thing again," he tells her, kissing her nose.

"I have a slightly sensitive stomach, it's not incapacitating," she grumbles. "I feel bad for making you do all the work. I packed a lot."

"I don't  _care_ ," Haymitch insists. "You're too delicate anyway. You're all small and helpless at the best of times, and this is the exact  _opposite_ of that for you."

She huffs, but picks up two of their lighter bags. "You're not stopping me being as useful as I can be," she tells him. "I'm doing  _some_ of the work."

He rolls his eyes, then leans over the bags he's got to kiss her cheek. "You're lucky that you're sweet, small stuff," he tells her. "You'd never get away with being this stubborn if you weren't so sweet."

"Then I'm counting myself lucky," she replies. "And when we get to that hotel, I'm going to teach you not to act like such a stereotypical  _guy_ around me."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asks, a little insulted by her tone.

She rolls her eyes at him. "It means that you're acting like an old-timey husband, like you think I can't and  _shouldn't_ do anything but clean, cook, and have babies. It's kind of upsetting, especially when I've proven my abilities more than once," she tells him softly.

"Really? You think that because I don't want you to throw your back out, I want you stuck in the role of housewife and mom?" he asks, disgust clear and dripping from his voice. "It isn't that I want you to be nothing but a housewife, I just don't want you to end up hurt."

"You were just saying that I'm small and helpless at the best of times! And that this isn't the best of times for me! So what am I now?!" she squeaks angrily, drawing herself up to her full height, which is still  _not_ that much. "A sentient doll?!"

"No, you're a little squidge," he says, allowing himself to disconnect from their emotional connection to avoid hurting her. "Sweetheart, calm down. We're not going to spend these next two weeks fighting."

"No, but we might spend the next two hours yelling at each other!" she squeaks. "You're not getting away with telling me I'm helpless just because I have a small tendency to throw up! I'm not made of glass, and I'm  _not_ as helpless as I look! I can do things!"

"I'm not saying you can't, I'm just saying that lifting things will hurt you because you're not very strong," he says. "When it comes to physical strength, you're not exactly brimming with it. There's nothing wrong with me telling you that I don't want you lifting heavy objects, sweetheart. Where did you even get this whole thing from? The old-fashioned husband thing?"

"From you telling me I'm small and helpless!" she squeaks loudly, attracting attention. "I'm not small or helpless!"

"You're small, and you're not at your strongest," Haymitch says.

"Stop it! I'm perfectly okay!" Effie squeaks, her blue eyes piercing into his soul. A look of anger and disgust washes over her face and she squeaks "And now you've completely shut off from me! Unbelievable!"

"What?!" he asks, stunned by her sudden change in topic.

"Are you deaf now, too?!" she snaps. "I said you've shut off from me! You're so...  _Ugh_!"

She stomps toward the train doors just as the train comes to a stop. Haymitch sees the other passengers staring at him and shrugs. "I don't know," he says, then follows Effie, hearing the doors open. He finds her as she walks out of the train station, stomping her feet a little too hard. He catches up with her and puts their bags on the floor and says "Effie, come here."

"No!" she snaps. "I'm upset, and you being all squishy isn't making it better!"

"Look, just tell me what's really wrong, you grouchy squish," he sighs, sick of her behaviour. 

She turns and glares at him, and he's not that surprised to see tears in her eyes. "You're always so insistent that you  _look after me_. You don't seem to understand that I can survive without being babied all the time. I like it when I'm sad or scared, but when I'm happy, I'm stable enough to be an adult. I did live alone before I moved in with you, and I have lived without you. I don't  _like_ living without you, and I never want to again, but I  _can_ do it," she tells him sadly. "We're meant to be happy, Haymitch. I'm not here to be sad, and neither are you."

"So why are we fighting?" he asks.

"Because you insist on treating me like I'm incapable of doing anything without you. If I was under some conditions that made me incapable of doing the simple things like carrying bags, I'd be okay with it, but... I'm capable. And it's not often I feel capable of things nowadays," she says, then ducks her head a bit. "I'm sorry. We shouldn't... I shouldn't have made such a fuss. Come on, we'll get a cab to our hotel."

He nods, then hugs her tightly. "Bug, you shouldn't be sorry," he says quietly. "I mean, yeah, it was awkward to fight in public, but I get that you were upset. In future, we'll just have to agree that the heavier loads are too much on your back, and you can still be helpful with it by taking lighter loads. Okay?"

"Okay," she murmurs, snuggling up to him. "I'm still sorry for being such a show up for you. I just don't like being treated like I'm helpless."

"We both know you're not  _totally_ helpless. Unless there are spiders, then you are," he chuckles.

"Ew, no, not those. I'm not okay with those. Then I really do need looking after. Spiders scare me," she whispers. "Does this mean we can stop fighting?"

"Yeah, we can stop fighting," he says, kissing her nose. "I'll try not to be so insulting toward you when I'm being protective of you in future."

"And I'll do my best not to yell, scream, and insult you when you're being all manly and protective over me in future, too... As long as you let me be protective of you too," she says, giving him a timid smile.

He grins at her, then kisses her nose. "Deal," he chuckles. "Your protectiveness is cute."

* * *

They walk into their hotel room fifteen minutes later, and Effie immediately runs for the bedroom. Haymitch chuckles and carries their bags to the room at a much slower pace than his wife's. He walks in to find her almost totally undressed. "Well, it didn't take you long to get naked, did it?" he asks, smirking. "Makes for a nice view."

She throws her clothes in a heap on the ground, slipping out of her underwear. "There's a bed, and I intend to lie in it, and I'm  _not_ being clothed in a bed," she tells him. "I'm sharing this thing with you, there's no real need for clothes. You'd only have them off me in a minute anyway."

"That's true," he agrees, then puts their bags down and undresses himself. "Might as well make the most of having a naked wife. Who knows when you'll put clothes on again?"

"When we have to go outside," she says. "Or when we have babies. Children usually hate seeing their parents naked."

Haymitch chuckles softly and gets onto the bed next to her, reaching over to her. She lies down next to him and smiles as he places his hand on her hip. "Do you want sex, or do you need to sleep?" he asks, rubbing her hip. 

"Well, I'm ready for sex if you are," she says. "I'm also ready to sleep if you are."

He chuckles, then kisses her lips softly. "Which would you prefer to do?" he asks.

"You," she replies, a cheeky grin on her face. "Always you first."

He laughs, then shifts closer, tugging her into his arms. She kisses him as soon as their bodies meet, and he smirks, kissing her back. She edges closer, pressing her body to his, and just as hands start to wander, the phone rings. "Ugh," Haymitch mutters. "Useless thing."

"Don't pick up," Effie whispers. "It'll be staff wanting to ask us if we want food."

"Could be one of the kids," Haymitch murmurs, running his hand up her side. "They might have the hotel's number and want to talk to us."

Effie groans, then says "Fine, but if it's staff asking us if we want feeding, say no and hang up."

"Rude way of doing it," he chuckles. "Shocking from you."

"Pick up so that we can get on with having sex," she huffs.

**(!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!)**

He laughs and picks up, then asks "Yeah?"

"Patching you through," the voice says. 

A second later, Peeta says "So you made it. Good."

"Yeah. What do you want?" Haymitch asks. "Is it an emergency?"

"No, we were just concerned. How was the journey?" Peeta asks.

"Uneventful. Effie vomited all over one of the staff, it was hilarious," Haymitch tells him, grinning at Effie's outraged gasp. "She also vomited on a couple who called her disgusting."

"They deserved it," Effie mutters angrily. 

Haymitch grins, and Effie decides to have a little fun with him while he talks to Peeta. She slowly trails kisses down his front, being as quiet as she can so that she doesn't alert Peeta. "She's been fine otherwise, Peeta. Trust me, there's no way I'd let her get hurt. She actually kicked up a fuss with me over the bags. Yeah, it was- What you doing there, little Bug?" Haymitch asks, cutting himself off.

"Nothing," she replies, her innocent tone contradicting her mischievous smile enormously. "Don't mind me, carry on."

Haymitch shakes his head at her, then returns to talking to Peeta. "No, she just got all upset and accused me of being over-protective. Said she's not totally incapable of carrying bags around, that I'm treating her like a child, stuff of that like," he says, grinning at Effie.

She lifts an eyebrow and wraps her mouth around his tip, her eyes glittering with mischief. Through the phone, she hears Peeta say "That sounds like the Effie we all know and love. It's a bit crazy to let her carry heavy loads after she's spent half a train journey vomiting, there's no way she was at full physical strength."

She bobs her head down, taking more of Haymitch's length into her mouth, smirking as much as she can with her mouth full. "No, I know, that's what I said," Haymitch says, slightly breathlessly. He grabs a fistful of Effie's hair and stares at her, only getting a wink in response. "She was all angry and upset about it, and then out of nowhere, she just went all sad on me. It was crazy, like she was just tipped upside down and shaken."

She lowers her head further, taking in more and more until she feels his tip in the very back of her throat, then she sucks gently, her cheeks hollowing. "Haymitch, I think she might have got pregnant just after the miscarriage," Peeta says uncertainly. "Katniss went like this on our honeymoon. She picked fights with a cactus."

"How?" Haymitch asks, a groan escaping him as Effie lets go and licks from base to tip, a small squeak of pleasure escaping her. 

"Are you okay?" Peeta asks. "Did you hurt yourself?"

"No," Haymitch replies, swallowing another groan of pleasure. "How did she pick a fight with a cactus?"

"Not the cactus thing!" Katniss screams, her voice loud even through the phone. 

"She went to touch it, you know how she is with plants, thinking it had fur, then the next thing I knew, she was yelling at it for the prickles getting her and telling it that she was going to smash its pot over the top of it," Peeta chuckles.

"Wow," Haymitch replies, definitely out of breath now, and barely stifling a gasp as Effie takes his whole length into her mouth just to scrape her teeth over his skin. He tugs her hair, a little too roughly, and she lets go, pouting a bit. He lets go of her hair and pets her gently, making her smile. She rubs him with her hand gently, then lies down next to him, arching her back as she stretches. "She hasn't picked a fight with a cactus yet, but there's still time. We haven't got any results from those tests she had done, so we won't know until we come home."

"Don't plan our return home yet, we've only just got here!" Effie protests, then hooks her leg over his knees, shifting her other leg toward the empty part of their bed, her hands cradling the back of her head. 

Haymitch stares at her, his eyes almost black from lust, and Peeta asks "Haymitch? Are you still there?"

"Nope!" Haymitch almost bellows. He's barely managed to slam the phone down before he's pouncing on Effie, kissing her mouth hard. He grabs her hands, which are starting to wander over his body, and pins them above her head. "You, Euphemia T... Abernathy, are a  _tease_."

"I know," she purrs. "But you were taking too long, gorgeous, and I want you  _all_ to myself now. Just us, lots of sex, lots of sea, lots of sun, and lots of all of those together."

"I hate you," he mutters, kissing a trail down her neck, smirking as he leaves goosebumps in his wake.

"No, you don't, you love me," she whimpers, sliding her hands down his back. She groans softly and grabs his behind, digging her nails in as she squeezes. He groans softly and bites her collarbone, his strong fingers digging into her hips in response to her claw-like nails digging into his slightly more sensitive flesh. "Mm!"

He sucks on the bite he's giving her, then pokes at it with his tongue, repeating the actions until she hisses at him. He lets go and continues kissing and biting as he makes his way over her upper chest, still firmly holding her hips. She whimpers as his stubble scratches pleasantly against the tops of her breasts, making him grin a little. He kisses his way down the valley of her breasts, sliding his hands down her thighs, and she's forced to let go of his taut behind as he slides down her body. He bites down on the sensitive skin near her ribs, sucking and biting it until she hisses again, a smirk playing on his face. He kisses a path down her stomach, taking the time to slowly trail his tongue around her belly button, then gently poke it with his tongue. She whimpers happily, her sharp nails now scratching at his back, leaving red welts in their wake. He chuckles and presses a soft kiss just below her belly button, then asks "Am I your new scratching post, Princess?"

"Yes," she gasps. "You are. As much as I'm your new chew toy."

He laughs and kisses her again, slowly making his way down. Just as he reaches her pubic bone, he diverts his path to kiss down her thighs, chuckling softly at her surprised squeaks while he kisses a trail to her feet, then back up her other leg to her hips, then he nuzzles at her mound, bumping his nose gently against her clit. "You're soaked," he chuckles quietly, breathing in her scent.

"I wonder why," she gasps, her body tensing up. He slowly pokes at her opening with his tongue, revelling in her squeal. "Haymitch, stop teasing me!"

She grabs a fistful of his hair and tugs hard, almost tearing it out of his scalp, only realising the strength too late. "Ouch!" he groans, grabbing her wrist. "Sweetheart, if you want me bald, just say so! There's no need to scalp me."

"No! Did I hurt you?" she asks, still shaking violently from her arousal, her mind on him. "I'm so sorry, sweetest, are you okay?"

He nods, the pain fading to a tingle now. "Lie back down, you, I'm not done with you," he says, gently pushing on her chest. "Lie. Down."

She kisses the back of his head, amazing him with her flexibility once again, and obediently lies back down. He smirks and slowly licks her clit, flicking it lightly with his tongue. She yelps, winding her legs around his shoulders, her fingers clutching at the bedsheets. He sucks lightly on her clit, nipping at it with his teeth, then he gently rubs it with his tongue, enjoying her little whimpers before he lowers his mouth a little to trace her opening. He slowly, carefully licks around the circumference of her opening before experimentally poking the tip of his tongue into her. She lets out another little yelp, her walls clenching already, and whimpers "Haymitch...!"

He licks around her opening again, then slowly pushes his tongue into her, a little deeper this time, and makes an appreciative noise as her walls clench around his tongue like a vice. He smirks and waits for her to unclench before he plunges his tongue in, his hands sliding up her thighs to rest on her hips and stomach. He looks up to look at her, only to see her holding the bed frame already. He smirks and slowly starts to move his tongue, pushing it in as far as he can get it to go, then sliding it out. She whimpers loudly, and he decides to speed it up a little, pushing his tongue back in until he reaches her sweet spot, pressing closer to her, his nose gently rubbing against her clit. She gasps and he swirls his tongue over the little patch of slightly rougher skin, enjoying her velvety heat. She whines and he grunts in response, appreciating each little noise from her. He sucks gently on her, speeding up the movements of his tongue every time she clenches on it, squeezing her hip gently. He smirks as her breathing quickens and brings his hand from her hip, then pulls his tongue out of her to slide his finger in instead, returning his mouth to her clit, pumping his fingers inside her. "Mm, sweetheart," he murmurs, licking at her clit gently and adding another finger inside her.

She whimpers again, and he looks up to see her biting her wrist, her chest rising and falling rapidly. He nips at her clit, curling his fingers inside her, just how she likes him to, being rewarded with a squeak. She pulls her wrist free of her teeth, and Haymitch slides his hand off her stomach to grab her hand. "Honey," she gasps, then clamps her teeth down on her lip.

"Why are you trying to be quiet?" he asks. "Nobody's going to care if you scream. I'll appreciate it."

She yelps as he sucks on her clit. "I'm not comfortable disturbing our neighbours," she whimpers.

"Sweetheart, it's a hotel by the sea, you can guarantee that they're expecting _somebody_ to be honeymooning around here," he scoffs. "Now you get to screaming, and don't you dare silence yourself."

Emboldened by his attitude and the way he rubs her sweet spot, his nails catching it in the most incredible ways, she lets out a high-pitched shriek that nearly shatters the window panes. He smirks and kisses her stomach gently, causing her to squeak. "Haymitch, I-I'm close," she whimpers, her back arching and falling, and he recognises that as a sign that she's about to climax hard.

"Then cum for me, beautiful," he murmurs, using his thumb to rub her clit. "Cum for me."

She cums hard, her body convulsing violently and her scream piercing the night. Haymitch chuckles softly at her, slowing his movements as she comes down from her high until she's relaxed and his fingers are still. He slowly removes his hand, smirking at the way the light hits the wetness coating his hand. "You never fail me," she purrs, wriggling into a sitting position just to kiss him. She smirks as she draws back and murmurs "Have I ever told you how hot it is to taste both you and myself in our kisses?"

He chuckles and gently pokes her lips with his wet forefinger, hoping she'll be ready for more soon. She wraps her mouth around his finger and sucks gently, licking it clean. He grins slightly, and murmurs "Now _that's_ hot, sweetheart."

She grins and allows him to finish licking his fingers clean, then wraps her body around his and whispers "I think I know more things we could do that'll make this whole building rock."

"By now, beautiful, we can do that with vanilla," he chuckles. "Comes naturally to us."

She giggles, then whispers "What do you say to making this bed crumble?"

He grins and kisses her again, crushing her soft body to his muscular one, lying back and letting her lie on top of him. "That's my girl," he murmurs against her lips, stroking her hair.

She kisses him, lightly scraping her nails on his nipples, tangling her fingers in his thick, dark chest hair. "I love this," she murmurs. "You're _natural_. All male and _real_."

"Well, good, I'm never waxing for you," he tells her softly, nipping at her lower lip. "I don't hold with that."

"I'm grateful for it," she whispers. "I love this. You're _sexy_."

"You suck at dirty talk, sweetheart. No pun intended," Haymitch chuckles.

"You never complained before," she murmurs, smiling a little.

He grins. "I like that you suck at it. In more ways than one," he says, gently slapping her rear.

"Horrible man," she laughs, then kisses him hard, messy in all the best ways, smirking to herself as he squeezes at the fleshy curve of her behind. "How do you want this, darling? It's your choice now, I just had my way twice."

"How do you get twice?" he asks, kissing along her jaw.

"One was getting my mouth on Not-So-Mini-Haymitch down there, and the other was having your mouth all over me. Literally," she giggles, stroking his hair tenderly. "I think that counts as two for my way tonight. What do you want from me tonight?"

He thinks for a second, then says "I'm not feeling that imaginitive tonight, Bug, and you're tired. How about we go vanilla? Just for tonight, I mean."

She smiles, grateful for the suggestion that'll save her bending in strange positions. "Okay, darling. Vanilla _us_ style, or vanilla _everyone else_ style?" she asks.

He grins and says "Lazy us."

She laughs softly, then kisses him. "Fine with me," she murmurs.

He grabs a pillow and wedges it under her, a grin on his face. She smiles up at him and tugs him down to press kisses all over his face, hugging him close to her. He bursts out laughing and tries to break free, which only makes her cling harder. "Sweetheart, let go! How are we meant to have sex if you're going to be cute?" he laughs, tickling her sides.

"You've managed before, you can manage again," she squeaks, kissing him and wriggling around as he tickles her, her body thrashing about in protest to the tickling. "Stop tickling me, you're throwing the kisses off!"

He tickles her until she lets go, then grabs her wrists, pinning them above their heads. "Now you're mine," he murmurs, pressing his lips to hers gently.

She kisses him back, winding her ankles around his thighs. "Mine," she mumbles into the kiss, allowing him to take full advantage of her lips parting and deepen the kiss. Their mouths work in synchrony for a few minutes before Haymitch releases her wrists to run his hands up and down her sides, and Effie breaks the kiss to kiss the side of his neck. She's gentle for a few short minutes, and just as he relaxes, she bites him, not quite hard enough to hurt him, but enough for him to feel her sharp little teeth. She sucks gently on the bite, poking at it with her tongue until he winces a little, and lets go, soothing him with a gentle kiss. "I thought a little payback wouldn't be amiss."

"You're lucky you're cute," he grumbles good-naturedly as she nuzzles at the hollow of his throat. He lets her go about her kisses and light nips for a while, enjoying her delicate attentions, then he pulls her back up to face him. "My turn to play, gorgeous."

She giggles and allows him to run his hands over her body, purring softly at the warm feeling of his hands on her skin. She sighs softly as his hands lovingly trace her every curve, and lifts her head to kiss him. "Sweetest, come on. I love being touched, but I do want to have sex before we go to sleep," she murmurs, pecking his lips to punctuate each word.

He chuckles and shifts, his erection poking her in the stomach. "Fine, fine. I'll just have to make the most of coating you in chocolate tomorrow," he murmurs, reaching between their bodies to cup her mound, smirking at the immediate wetness on his hands. "That was fast."

"You've always managed to work me up quickly," she purrs sweetly, tangling her fingers in his hair again. "I'm not surprised by that, gorgeous."

He chuckles and settles properly between her thighs before he takes hold of his length and slowly guides it into her opening, a small grunt of pleasure escaping him. Effie smiles and runs her hands over his chest and stomach, allowing her hands to fit perfectly against every bump and crevice of his body. He bites the inside of his cheek as he buries himself to the hilt in her, then leans down to kiss her again. She kisses him back, her hands roaming down his back and sides, occasionally lightly scraping him with her nails. He breaks away to kiss across her shoulders, his hands roaming her waist as he moves in and out of her slowly, waiting for the signal to move faster. She wriggles her hips impatiently, and he bites her gently, speeding up until he's pounding into her, the sound of their flesh colliding almost drowned out by his grunts and her shrieks. There's a splintering sound, and Haymitch asks "You good there, Bug?"

"Fine," she whimpers, her back arching, pressing her chest to his. "I'm close, honey."

He grins, dismissing the splintering noise to carry on with her, shifting slightly to press his face into her shoulder, his hands sliding underneath her to squeeze her bottom hard. One of her hands coils around his nape, and the other squeezes his bicep. He groans as he feels her walls tighten and his sight flashes white, the sound of her scream almost completely blocked out by the roaring in his ears. His sight comes back after a few minutes and a few blinks, and he looks down to see Effie's face, neck, and chest flushed pink and covered with a light sheen of sweat, and her breathing uneven. "Are you good?" he asks softly.

"I don't think I'll ever move again," she gasps quietly, a pleased smile floating on her lips. "I think you finished me off, darling."

**(^_^) (^_^) (^_^) (^_^) (^_^) (^_^)**

"I'm amazed you made it through two rounds, sweetheart, you looked half-dead earlier," he chuckles, slipping out of her and lying down next to her. "Beautiful, but half-dead."

"Horrid man," she chuckles breathlessly, then tosses the pillow to the end of the bed so that she can snuggle against his side, her arms around him. "I love you, darling. You're my special squishy."

"Mushy Bug," he mutters, then kisses the top of her head.

"Yes," she hums, then yawns. "I'm using you as my pillow. Goodnight."

"Don't drool on me again," he mumbles, petting her.

"I don't drool, so you're safe," she murmurs, hooking her leg over his thighs. "Now shh, Bug's sleeping."

She's asleep in seconds, squeaking in place of snoring, and Haymitch grins, pulling the duvet over their bodies, content to just watch her sleeping on him. "I love you too, Bug," he murmurs, holding her tightly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope that this didn't suck as badly as it read to me for you. I honestly might come back and re-write this when my brain decides to function properly. Like I said earlier, if it doesn't add up, explanations come later. 
> 
> Hope you've all had a nice couple of weeks, a great Halloween, and that this next week treats you well. Much love and happiness to you all. Until next week. Cat xxx


	20. Sun, Sea, Sand, and Splintering

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The bed's broken in the middle of the night, leading to an exhausted Effie deciding that she wants to work on her tan, and Haymitch wants a swim, if only to get away from people gaping at his wife for a while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! I'm sorry that it's a bit late tonight, I've been busy.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games, its characters, or its world. All rights go to Suzanne Collins, and I am not Suzanne. I just like playing around with her characters.

Haymitch's eyes fly open, and he lies still, wondering what caused him to wake so abruptly. He can't  _possibly_ have been asleep long, it's still dark out, and Effie's curled up against his side, her nose scrunched up and her thumb almost in her mouth, looking almost completely at peace. He smirks and shifts a little to kiss her head, only to freeze at the sound of splintering, much like he'd heard earlier. "Ah, hell," he mutters, then gets up, wrapping Effie tightly in their duvet and scooping her up just seconds before the mattress falls through to the floor, the middle of the bed cracked in half. Effie makes a curious noise, waking up a little, and Haymitch mutters "Shh, sweetheart, it's okay."

"Apple crumble," she mumbles, in a tone that she normally uses when she agrees with him. "Sweet crumbly apple stuff."

Not for the first time since living with Effie, Haymitch has to ask himself what she dreams about in order to come out with this stuff. He puts her down on the sofa in the living room, then pulls on some clothes. He kisses her lips softly and leaves the room, heading down to the concierge's desk. There's an elderly man there, and he asks "How may I help you, Mr Abernathy?"

"The bed in my hotel room," he says. "It's cracked down the middle, the mattress is on the floor."

"Oh," the man says, looking confused. "And is it just you in there?"

"No, my wife's there, too," Haymitch tells him. "She doesn't know yet, she sleeps like a log. She's on our sofa at the minute."

The man nods, then says "I'll send someone up to fix it for you." He eyes Haymitch, then asks "Are you and your wife unharmed?"

"Yeah, we're fine, the splintering woke me up in time to get up and get her out of bed," Haymitch says. "It's just inconvenient."

Two young men and a young woman go up to the room with Haymitch, carrying a massive slab of wood for underneath the mattress between them, and Haymitch has the key to let them in. "So, you're married?" one of the two young men asks.

Haymitch studies him, and realises that these people are around the ages of Katniss and Peeta, then shrugs. "Yeah," he says. "She's still sleeping, so we need to be quiet in there," he says, letting them in.

But, as if to counter everything he ever says, Effie's awake and making coffee, still completely naked, and pouting a little. She looks up and sees Haymitch, then returns to making her coffee as she says "Given that I woke up alone on the sofa, I think I'm right to assume that you noticed the bed falling to bits under us."

"Yeah," he says. "And you're still naked."

"Yes. Your favourite way to see me," she replies as the trio of young adults walk in. She turns and yelps. "You brought  _people_?!"

"You married your former escort?!" one of the men asks, gaping.

Effie squeaks and grabs her discarded duvet, wrapping herself in it. "Haymitch! People! Naked me! Is this a nightmare?" she squeaks desperately.

"Only for you, everyone else likes this view," Haymitch chuckles, strolling over to hug her as the staff go to sort their bed out. "They're staff, they've come to fix our bed. Why are you having coffee?"

"It's too early to be awake and decaffeinated," she replies. "I'm a troll before coffee."

"No, I mean why are you having coffee? You value your sleep," he says, petting her. 

"Mm, I'm in the mood for coffee, then tanning. Lots and lots of tanning," she hums.

"Thought you were going back to your goth style?" he asks, pressing a kiss to her head.

She shrugs. "I can be a goth with a tan, as long as it's not my usual deep tan. Being a goth isn't just being pale, you know. It's open to every skin tone possible," she says, then cups his cheek. 

"Okay," he chuckles. "Besides, when we get back to Twelve, you're going to freeze. Have your drink, then go and put on your tanning gear."

She grins and says "I brought a bikini for that. And wait until you see it."

"I hope it covers more than just the most private areas, sweetheart," he chuckles. "Nobody else gets to see you almost naked."

"Mm, well, three young adults just saw me  _totally_ naked, so maybe that's a bit late," she purrs. "But coffee first."

Haymitch laughs, then slides his hands into the duvet to gently squeeze her bottom. "Maybe we could do something else..." he suggests, kissing her just below her ear.

"Mm, we  _could_... But after I've used the toilet. I've just been hit by an urge to go," she hums. "Give me a minute, and hold the duvet."

She runs to the bathroom, and returns within five minutes. Haymitch grins at her and kisses her gently. They kiss passionately for a minute, then the trio of young adults emerge from their room, interrupting them. "We're done with the bed," the young woman says, blushing hard. 

"Thank you," Effie says, smiling slightly. "We really appreciate it."

Haymitch rushes them out, then locks the door behind them and grins at Effie. "What do you say we take this to the bedroom?" he asks.

"I would love to," she purrs, strolling toward their room. "Come on. We have a lot of fun stuff to do before the sun comes up, and we can nap until it's bright enough for me to go tanning."

* * *

At noon, Effie blinks against the bright sunlight and groans. "Ugh. No. Where'd the dark go?" she mumbles.

"Away," Haymitch chuckles. "Come on, sleepy Bug, I've brought you some coffee."

"You are so good to me," she mumbles. "Caffeinating your Bug... I married so well. Mother is going to eat her wig when she finds out just how perfect you are, treating me to caffeine in bed."

"Most women demand breakfast," he says with a grin.

"Coffee is breakfast," she counters, then bolts upright. "Uh oh."

"What uh oh? What does that mean?" Haymitch asks, all trace of a smile gone as Effie bolts from the bed and starts to waddle like a penguin toward the bathroom. "What's the uh oh?! Are you going to be sick again?"

"Nope, other fluids! More fluid fluids!" she yelps, waddling faster. "About to explode!"

He relaxes a little, but only marginally. He listens out for her, and when she returns, she's wearing a bikini that's little more than triangles of fabric, held together with string, and he gapes. "Are you really going tanning in that?" he asks. 

"Yes. I hate awkward tan lines, and I'm sure this is preferable to people seeing me naked," she says, taking a mug full of coffee. She takes a large sip and sighs softly. "Oh, I love the feeling of caffeine waking up my soul."

"What soul?" Haymitch asks, then kisses her gently. "Don't you have something a little less  _revealing_ , Bug? You're not leaving much to the imagination here."

"That's the point, I want you to get all hot and bothered over me," she says, then sips more of her coffee. "Oh, that's so good... I love this stuff. Anyway, if I wear this thing, you get to take it off me, and that's the fun bit for us both."

He knows he's not going to get her to change, so he kisses her. "Okay, then wear something over it until we get to the beach, sweetheart. Plenty of guys will be checking you out fully clothed," he says, bumping his nose on hers. "You don't need to be nearly naked to get attention."

She blushes a little and says "I could look like a train wreck and you'd still say that I'm beautiful. I'm starting to think you might be biased."

"No chance. I can't help it if I want my Bug to know that you're the most beautiful woman in the world," he mutters awkwardly, his ears going red and his face scrunching in embarrassment at saying something that sweet to her. "That was  _mushy_. Look what you've done to me, Trinket. You've made me soft."

"I can think of three things wrong with that. One, I'm not  _Trinket_ , I'm an Abernathy now. Two, that was  _sweet_. And three, I make you anything  _but_ soft, darling. I've known you to be anything  _but_ soft when I'm around, if you get my meaning," she giggles, her hand gently brushing the front of his boxers.

"I hate you," he mutters. "And it's weird calling you an Abernathy when you've been Trinket all this time."

"I know," she says, then kisses him. "You'd better get used to it, you're going to hear  _everyone_ calling me  _Mrs Abernathy_ , and your wife. It's going to be weird until you accept it."

"I married  _you_ ," he says softly, the hugs her tightly. "The softest, smallest, cutest, most irritating little Bug ever created, and I married you."

"Yes," she giggles, cuddling up to him and wrapping her free arm around him. "You did indeed, my darling one."

"What sort of surreal hell dimension is this?" he asks. "Okay, first things first, tell me what you want most in the world that's not something I'd expect you to want."

"A puppy," she says instantly. "A little ball of energy and yaps."

He kisses her nose gently. "Great. I just wanted to know it's real," he says.

"It is," she hums. "If it's not, then I don't want to wake up. It's too lovely to ever want to wake up from."

He strokes her hair and asks "Do you want to get something on? Go tanning?"

"Absolutely," she replies quietly.

* * *

On the beach, Effie takes her black sun dress off and puts it in a plastic bag, tied tightly shut, then sets down two black beach towels on the sand. "Lie with me?" she asks sweetly, looking up at Haymitch as she lies down.

"Fine, but only because you're being cute again," he sighs, as if it's a great effort for him, and sits down next to her, then gives her a kiss on the cheek.

"I count myself lucky daily that you find me cute," she replies sweetly. "It's a great joy in my life to provide you with much needed wit and cuteness."

He chuckles, then lies back, prompting her to do the same. She links her fingers with his and squeezes gently, a small squeeze coming back from him in return, and they relax, letting the sun beam down on them. As people arrive at the beach, Haymitch catches whispers of conversation from nearby beachgoers, and most of them are males, commenting on Effie, and he stiffens. "They're talking about you, Bug," he murmurs, anger bubbling up inside him.

"Nothing you wouldn't say," Effie hums. "Ignore them."

"They're nothing to do with you," he grumbles. "I hate when people check you out and  _comment_ on you like you're a piece of meat."

"I hate it too," she whispers. "But it's their conversations, they're entitled to opinions."

"If it were a woman commenting like that about me, would you be calm?" he asks softly.

"Not a chance in hell," she murmurs. "I hate women checking you out like that, let alone discussing what they'd do to you, were they given the chance. Why, I've been known to start cat fights because of that in the past."

"Don't go starting any cat fights, Bug. You're already a delicate little squish," he tells her.

She laughs quietly, then rubs circles on his hand with her thumb. A couple of young men walk past them and one whistles. "Looking good, lady," he says, eyeing her.

"Thanks," Effie says, then lifts her hand to display her wedding band. "I feel like my husband is very proud of having snagged me."

Haymitch says "Believe me, sweetheart, I am. Just don't go running off with anyone else."

"Like I'd do that," Effie chuckles. "I've been waiting to marry you since I met you. Now that I've got you, do you really think I'm ever going to let you go?"

He laughs, and kisses her. He lies with her and rubs sun lotion on her as she turns, and she returns the favour with generous amounts of lotion, and they lie in the sun for hours, Haymitch getting increasingly more irritated as men and women alike hit on her, and she kisses him possessively every time anyone hits on him, growling at them to leave them alone. Eventually, he says "I'm going for a swim, sweetheart."

"Okay, honey. When you're done, you come back so that I can cover you in more lotion," she hums. "I don't want you to be burned."

"Trust me, little stuff, I've lived in this stuff all my life, I'm not one to burn easily. My skin's darker than yours, so I don't become a lobster," he chuckles, then kisses her between her shoulder blades. "Stay tiny."

"No promises," she hums. "I plan for us to make a baby on this trip."

"If we haven't already," he says, then pats her bottom. "See you in a bit, sweetheart."

He strolls into the sea, ignorant of all the gapes and whispers he attracts, and decides he's going to swim close to shore, just to keep an eye out for anyone harassing Effie. He keeps glancing at her and watches her watching him as he swims. She turns over every so often to get some sun on all sides of her, a smile on her face. He eventually gets up and strolls back over to her, then lies down with her, seeing her eyes are closed. He kisses her stomach gently and she sighs "Unless you're my husband, vanish."

"I'm your husband, Bug," he tells her. "You're looking a lot less like fresh milk now. More like you've been tanning for about six hours and need to get inside and have something to eat."

"I also need the toilet," she sighs. "Let's go back to the hotel."

"Put your dress on, then," he says, patting her hip.

She smiles and gets up, then retrieves her dress. She puts her dress back on, then reapplies lotion to Haymitch's body. "Dry off, then put your pants on," she tells him. "Those shorts aren't hiding much."

"Neither is that bikini," he retorts, but he does as she commands, allowing her to preserve his modesty while he changes, then he takes the towels and kisses her lips. "Anyway, what do you want to eat?"

"I'm in the mood for lobster," she tells him. "I don't know, but I do want lobster. Or maybe a battered cod. I really want salty seafood."

"Anything you want," Haymitch chuckles, gently taking her hand. "Anything at all."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked this one. As always, if you have any ideas, theories, thoughts, or prompts for a one-shot or outtake you'd like to see, let me know in the comments below.
> 
> Until next week, much love and happiness to you all. Cat. xxx


	21. Big News

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Upon arriving back at the hotel, Haymitch orders food, and Effie takes a long-overdue trip to the bathroom, and returns with news that both thrills and terrifies both her and Haymitch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everyone! If you saw on Twitter, you'll know that I quite literally forgot what I'd written, which is the suckiest part of sleepy writing. So after a quick readthrough, I got really excited, and hopefully by the end notes, you will be too. I was actually contemplating putting this chapter and the last one together, but the last one was already really long. Ah, well, more content for reading, I guess.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games, its characters, or its world. All rights go to Suzanne Collins, and I am not Suzanne. I just like to play around with her characters.

Once they're in the hotel room, Effie says "You order dinner, I need to use the toilet," and runs to the bathroom, and Haymitch hears the tap running, something she wouldn't do until she washed her hands normally.

"You okay in there?" he calls in, trying to be heard over the tap.

"I'm fine!" Effie calls back. "Have you ordered the food yet?"

"I'l do it in a sec," he replies, fear gnawing at his insides for reasons he can't decipher. "Why are you running the tap?"

Silence for a second, then she replies "I'm having trouble getting... A flow, if you know what I mean. The sound of running water helps."

"Okay, Bug, as long as you're okay," he says.

"Now go order our dinner, I'm hungry," she tells him. "And the hungrier I am, the less time we'll have for sex."

He runs, making her giggle. It takes her fifteen minutes before she washes her hands and turns the tap off, and a further two before she leaves the bathroom, her face almost translucently pale. She drags her feet into the main area of the room as if she's wading through mud, hugging her bathrobe around her small frame. "You okay?" Haymitch asks, immediately running to hug her at the sight of her. "Were you sick again?"

"No," she whispers. "Would you be a dear and make me a drink, please?"

He does, then rubs her stomach. "What's the matter, sweetheart?"

She looks up at him with wide, fearful eyes and grabs the hand on her stomach, holding it tightly. "Darling, you were right to stop me from doing any heavy lifting, and from doing anything potentially straining on my body," she whispers softly, then chokes a little bit. "I just did something I don't know if I should have done."

"What did you do?" he asks, squeezing her hand gently. "I promise I won't get angry."

She plays with his fingers and whispers "I did a pregnancy test again. I had to prove to myself that I wasn't just sick. You know me, I worry about leaving you."

He nods, then kisses her nose. "I know. So, I guess I'm right in saying you've got a Baby Bug on board?" he asks, not quite daring to let himself believe that he's hoping.

She bites her lower lip and says "Yes, you're right. I didn't want to believe it yet."

He hugs her tightly. "Yeah, I get that, Bug. After the last one," he murmurs.

"Exactly. I can't go through losing another child, Haymitch. Ever. If I miscarry, we're adopting. I can't have another miscarriage, it will destroy me," she whispers. "I don't know if this is the twin of our miscarried child, or if I miscarried just to get pregnant again not long after."

"We'll get you an appointment for a check up," he says softly, then kisses her neck. "I can't really believe that it's not just a figment of my imagination, sweetheart."

"You didn't seem very surprised by finding out about the baby," she whispers, then lets out a soft noise that's halfway between a giggle and a sob. "Oh, my word, we're having a baby. A real, tiny, kicky, screamy baby. We're going to be parents."

He chuckles softly. "Yeah, we are," he whispers. "And to be honest, I was hoping for this. If it wasn't a baby, then there would have been something seriously wrong with you, and that wasn't an option."

She smiles up at him and kisses him gently. "Well, you're going to be a father. Now, may I just ask that we don't tell people until we know if Baby's safe? I don't want to tell people if we lose our little treasure," she murmurs.

"We're telling  _nobody_  until we have both yours and even smaller stuff's health and safety secured," he says softly, kissing her neck. "Whatever comes, it's you and me against the problems, yeah?"

"Absolutely," she whispers, letting go of his hand to hug him tightly. "Promise me that we'll never blame each other for bad things?"

"I promise," he murmurs, hugging her tightly. "Do you want to go to the hospital here for a check up, or do you want to wait until we get home?"

"That, my love, is a ridiculous question. The sooner we know where our child's life stands, the easier I will sleep at night," she says, then grins. "Don't you love hearing that?"

He chuckles. "Yeah, I do," he says softly, then kisses her gently. "You lie down, beautiful, and I'll get us food and some juice to celebrate. And after we've eaten, I'll get you an appointment for a check up. Baby might need a little more nourishment, given how much you tend to vomit when you're shaken about."

She laughs and lies on the bed. "I'd argue, but it's true. I do hope the vomit is the hardest part of this whole  _growing a person_  business," she says, smiling up at him.

"I highly doubt that," he says, grinning at her. "But you have a personal slave around you at all times, so it won't be unbearable."

"You're not my slave, you're my husband," she says. "But I am hungry, so I think food might be a good idea."

He laughs and strolls to the living area, delight and fear fighting for his attentions within him. How could they cope with the risk of losing their baby now, when they know it's there? There's a knock at the door, and he opens it to let the server in to drop their food off, and as soon as he's alone, he calls up the nearest hospital to book Effie in, allowing his fear to run free inside him. He glances at the door to the bedroom as he speaks to the receptionist at the hospital, wishing he could hold Effie close and guarantee hers and the baby's security. He hangs up once he's got her booked in, and he takes the trolley of food to her, finding her resting on the bed, her hand on her stomach, and he panics, almost flying to her side with fear. "Are you okay? Not cramping? No blood loss?" he asks nervously.

"No," she says quietly. "Just contemplating being a mother, knowing that there's a little part of both of us wriggling around inside me, and that he or she is going to grow up knowing you as Daddy and me as Mommy, not our pasts or who we were before he or she was even a thought in our minds. It's scary, but I think I really love that thought."

He nods, then lies down, allowing his hand to rest next to hers, burying his nose in her neck. "It's weird," he murmurs. "This baby doesn't know anything about us, all it knows is that it's in a warm place, and that it's loved. Nothing else. And we're going to completely ruin this innocent little baby with our weird ways of loving it and raising it, and it's just going to accept that we adore it."

"Exactly," Effie sighs, leaning against him. "Our little baby's going to be spoiled silly. I hope you know that."

"With a mommy like you? I expect nothing less," he murmurs. "Our child will be another Effie, but more spoiled than you."

"I think we're having a boy," she murmurs. "I might just be being crazy, but I feel like it's a boy."

Haymitch chuckles and kisses her nose. "We'll see, but for now, I think it's a girl."

"I don't really care if it's a boy or a girl," Effie says softly. "I have a feeling it's a boy, but to be honest with you, I'm just glad it's here. Male, female, or somewhere in between, I couldn't care less, I just want it to be born alive and well."

He kisses her lips softly, then says "You're going to be a great mom, Bug." 

* * *

Effie wakes with a jolt, and looks around for the source of the shrill ringing. Haymitch is already awake, and he says "Go back to sleep, sweetheart, it's just the phone."

She picks up and hears Willow's familiar screams, then Peeta asks "Hello?"

"Peeta?" Effie asks softly. "What's the matter?"

"Willow. She's got a cold, and no matter what we do, she won't sleep. Help us," he pleads.

"How? I'm halfway across the country," Effie squeaks.

"Just talk to her," Peeta says, then the sound of screaming gets infinitely louder.

"Willow?" Effie asks softly. "Willow, can you hear me?"

The baby's screams stop and Haymitch asks "What are they doing to the kid?"

"She's sick," Effie tells him, then returns to the phone. "Willow, my darling girl. Hello, beautiful child. Why are you still awake? Is there a problem? Do you need to rest?"

A whimper and Katniss's voice quietly says "Always a good idea, getting Effie to soothe the hell spawn."

"Tell your mama to be nice about you," Effie coos sweetly. "My poor little doll. Will you try to have a rest for me, sweetheart? Do you need a nap? I know you don't feel very well, my little treasure, but you won't get better if you're not feeling very well."

Willow sighs softly, and her little sniffly breaths keep coming through the phone. "Take a nap, kiddo," Haymitch says, leaning closer to the phone. "The more you sleep, the sooner you get to see Grandma's pretty face again."

"It's working," Peeta murmurs. "Whatever you're saying to her, it's working."

"That's right, Willow," Effie whispers. "You're such a wonderful little girl. That's it, sleep away the troubles, my darling. You're so perfect, little lady. Sleep now, and soon enough, we'll all be there with you. Go to sleep, darling child."

A minute later, Peeta asks "What did you say to her? She's snoring away, all peaceful. What've you said?"

"We just said what we always say when she won't sleep," Effie says.

"We also told her that the more she sleeps, the sooner she'll see us," Haymitch says. "Must have worked if she's asleep."

"Must have done," Effie and Peeta say in unison.

"Anyway, kid, it's going on four thirty, we were asleep," Haymitch says. "I need this one well rested."

"Ew, yuck!" Peeta yelps, then winces. "Okay, bye, don't talk to me until you're home!"

Effie hangs up and snuggles back down. "That was lovely," she hums. "Now, why do you want your squish well rested?"

"Because you're you and you get grouchy if you don't sleep. And you're pregnant, so your mood's all weird," he chuckles, then kisses her nape gently, wrapping his arm around her waist and gently placing his hand on her stomach. "Go to sleep, beautiful."

She smiles and whispers "Okay. Goodnight, honey."

He lies awake for the rest of the night, even as Effie turns and snuggles closer to him, making it much easier for him to rub her stomach, and hooks her leg over his, and he just watches her sleep, enjoying the peaceful, joyful look on her face. "I love you," he murmurs. "I could never love anyone as much as I love you, Eff. Just you remember that, no matter what happens."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Little Hayffie genetic combination! I really hope you're all ready for this. As always, if you have anything you'd like to say, any questions, ideas for oneshots or outtakes, opinions, constructive criticism, spelling errors I made, or theories, please feel free to drop them below in a comment for me. I do love hearing your thoughts.
> 
> That said, I hope you have a lovely week, and that you're all okay. Much love and happiness to you all. I'll see you next week, or before on Twitter. Cat xxx


	22. How Many Weeks?!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Effie and Haymitch go to the doctor's office, and the news just keeps coming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone. Wow, I'm forty five minutes late today. My explanation for my lateness is in the end notes, I don't want to bore you before you've even started reading! 
> 
> I hope you're ready for this, and fair warning, this starts with a pretty dark scene. 
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games, its characters, or its world. All rights go to Suzanne Collins, and I am not Suzanne. I just like to play around with her characters.

Haymitch isn't entirely sure if he did fall asleep, or when he fell asleep, but all he knows is the horrors still staining his mind as he looks down at his sleeping wife, unable to see her as the picture of serenity and happiness that she is. All he sees is the nightmare, of her covered in gore, and a tiny infant resting on her body, covered head to toe in its mother's blood. "Effie," he whispers, barely touching her shoulder, praying for the warmth of her skin, the softness, the lack of the blood he can so vividly see on her body.

"Give me the marshmallow goo, I'm going to defeat the robots," she murmurs.

He shakes her gently, unable to shake the images from his mind. "Beautiful?" he asks softly.

She opens her eyes groggily and asks "Why you wake me? I have robots to take down."

"Sweetheart, are you okay?" he asks worriedly.

"I am fine," she mumbles. "Nightmare?"

"Uh huh," he mutters, then lies down, his head over her heart. "As long as I can hear this, it's okay."

She nods, then pets him sleepily. "Heartbeat. Okay. Try not to have more nightmares. You're just as tired as I am," she whispers.

He goes back to sleep, only to fall into another hellscape nightmare.

**(!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!)**

_**The room's lit with bright, surgical light, and he blinks. This is unusual, even for him. He turns slowly, and sees the table filled with surgical tools that probably have useful, helpful purposes, but to the distrustful and unnerved mind, look like torture devices. A shriek comes from behind him, and he turns, dread coiling low in his stomach as he does. His heart drops as his wife is dragged into the room, fighting with all her strength. "No!" she shrieks. "No! You can't!"** _

_**"Effie!" he yells, rushing forward, only to be thrown back.** _

_**"You can't save her," a strange, disembodied voice says from behind him. "You can't save either of them."** _

_**"What do you mean, either of them?!" Haymitch demands, then he sees Effie being strapped down. "Effie!"** _

_**He pounds on the forcefield, yelling her name. "She can't hear you," the mysterious voice says. "But you can hear her."** _

_**And just like that, he hears her screaming "No! No! You can't do this! No! You'll kill my baby! You can't do this to me! No! Leave my baby alone!"** _

_**Haymitch lets out a furious roar, then slams his whole body weight against the forcefield. "Let her go! Let her and that baby go! Let me take her place!" he bellows. "She can't die! They can't hurt her or the baby! Let her go! I'll do anything, let her go! Leave her and that baby be, let them out safely, and I'll do anything you ask, as long as they're safe!"** _

_**"No can do," the voice tells him, and Haymitch slams his body against the forcefield as a surgeon picks up a blade.** _

_**"No!" Effie shrieks, trying to wriggle free. "Leave me alone! Haymitch! Haymitch, help! They're trying to hurt our baby!"** _

_**"I'm trying to help, Bug!" he bellows. "Let that woman go, or so help me, I'll find you and torture you for what you're doing to her! Let my girl and our kid go!"** _

**(^_^) (^_^) (^_^) (^_^) (^_^) (^_^)**

_"Haymitch_!" Effie shrieks, worry in her voice. "Honey! Wake up! Please! Come back to me!"

"Let my wife go!" he roars, lashing out. "Let her go! She's innocent! Our baby's innocent!"

"Haymitch!" she screams, and his eyes fly open. "Haymitch?"

He blinks up at her, and sees her face, ashy white and full of fear. "Eff?" he asks. "You're safe?"

"Of course I am," she gasps, then kisses him hard. "Oh, darling... I'm so sorry. Are you okay? What happened?"

"You... Surgeons... The baby?" he asks, pressing his hand to her stomach gently.

She sighs softly, then nods. "Baby is just fine," she tells him softly. "Sweetest, where were you?"

He shrugs, sinking back onto the pillow. "In a surgery," he says softly. "They were trying to kill you and the baby. Guess it's just nerves, you seeing the doctor the day after tomorrow and all that."

"Oh, honey. The doctors are here to help now. They'll try to protect Baby, not hurt him," she whispers. "It'll be okay. I thought you were taking this a little too well. I suppose your mind isn't quite as rational subconsciously as it is consciously."

"Sweetheart, do you mind if I get up for a bit?" he asks, and she places her hand on his.

Her face softens sadly as she feels his trembling hands under her own, and she kisses his nose. "I don't mind," she tells him. "Are you going to drink?"

"Do you mind if I do?" he asks quietly. "Not like I used to, just enough to stop the trembling."

"Darling, you can have a drink if that's what you need, just be mindful of your liver," she says gently. "I know what the worst nights are like. This is a big change for us both. I was actually expecting this, since you took the news so well."

"I want the kid," he says softly. "I don't want it to grow up with a walking decanter for a dad."

"Our baby will not have a walking decanter for a father," she promises. "It will have  _you_. And one day, when it's old enough, it will know why Daddy shakes and has a glass of alcoholic substance when he gets stressed. Now, my love, do not get wasted. I want you to calm your nerves, and when your shakes stop, come back to bed, and we shall cuddle it out. Okay? There's no judging here, you married someone who understands you all too well. Go on."

She presses a kiss to his cheek and wraps him in the duvet. "Won't you need this?" he asks.

"No. I have the throw. You need the warmth more than I do right now," she says gently. "Go on. I'll wait up."

He goes and sits in the living room, a glass of bourbon and ice in one hand, and the other holding the duvet in place. He ponders the whole situation as he drinks, and returns to Effie once his glass is empty. She's half asleep as he gets into bed and covers them both up, and he whispers "It's terrifying, Eff. This kid's mine. If the Games start up again, she's going to be reaped."

"The Games won't start again," she denies, snuggling up to him. "And our baby will never see the inside of an arena again. I promise you that. I'd give my life and soul before that happened."

"Beautiful, what's this kid going to be like?" he asks softly. "We're the poster kids for trauma and psychological issues besides. This kid's going to be raised by total nutcases."

"But he's also going to grow up with  _loving_ nutcases who'll only ever want the very, very best for him," she argues. "Say what you will about us, our baby is going to grow up loved, wanted, and absolutely adored. We'll do just fine, darling. I mean, look at my family. I turned out okay. I grew up in a whole family of strange people with their own issues, and I turned out... Well, I'm not a serial killer or anything like that, so I assume they did a good job."

He chuckles and says "Yeah, but your dad's not traumatised from an arena and didn't ever stab your mom in his sleep. Your dad didn't stab  _you_ in his sleep."

"You won't stab our baby," she sighs. "You locked your knife away, it's at home, in the drawer you  _locked_ it in. You're a good man, darling, and you'll be an amazing father. Your worry is real, and I share that fear, but the reason in me says it's irrational really. Instinctual, yes, but irrational. We'll be  _great_ parents, sweetie."

"I hope you're right," he mutters. "I really do."

"Honey, I'm your wife, I'm  _never_ wrong," she chuckles. "Now sleep on. Our baby needs us well rested, not grouchy, and all snuggly."

* * *

  _Two Days Later..._

"Haymitch, darling, I don't like this," Effie says uncertainly. "I'm scared. What if they hate us? What if they try to hurt our child?"

"You know they won't," Haymitch sighs. "You have to do this, sweetheart. Think of Baby. Our Baby Bug needs to be checked on. Come on. Where's that tiger mama instinct gone?"

Effie groans softly, then touches her stomach gently. "Okay. For my baby," she whispers. "Anything for my child."

"That's my girl," Haymitch says proudly. He guides her inside and catches the attention of the receptionist. "Hey, uh, Effie Abernathy, appointment for ten thirty."

The receptionist gawks at them, then says "Sure, go sit over there..." completely awestruck.

Effie smiles a little and says "Thank you." She allows Haymitch to guide her over to the seats, and as soon as they're seated, she hugs him tightly. "Cuddle. I'm about to bolt for the door. I hate it in here."

He hugs her tightly, unwilling to tell her just how much he hates it too. "You're doing brilliantly, Bug. You're so strong," he murmurs. "You're doing really well, looking after our baby like this."

He holds her until the doctor calls "Effie Abernathy?"

"Come on, Bug," Haymitch murmurs, getting up and helping her to her feet. She gets up reluctantly, and she lets him take her over to the doctor. "Here she is."

"Hello," the doctor says, smiling. "Come on in, both of you."

Haymitch gently tugs Effie in and says "You know why we're here, Bug. Focus on that."

Effie nods, then sits down gingerly on the bed. The doctor smiles warmly at her, and asks "Okay, what seems to be the problem?"

"Well, it's not so much a problem," Effie says softly. "I'm pregnant. I just want to know how pregnant I am, and how my baby's doing."

The doctor nods and smiles. "I'm glad you're here for good news," she says. "Now, dear, I need to conduct an examination. Do you want your husband here for this?"

"Yes," Effie gasps, grabbing Haymitch's hand. "Yes, I want him here."

"She might run if I don't stay," Haymitch says, squeezing her hand.

The doctor chuckles and pats Effie's arm. "Oh, dear, you needn't worry. You're safe here," she says gently. "Lie on the bed, dear,and pull your blouse up to your ribs and undo your skirt."

Effie does as she's told, holding on to Haymitch's hand with a vice-like grip. The doctor starts the examination, and Effie stares at the ceiling, her jaw clenched. Haymitch tries not to hate that the doctor's touching Effie, because the sight of someone else touching her, even to be helpful to her, bothers him immensely. The doctor eventually stops and Haymitch asks "What could you tell?"

"From the size of the uterus, I'd estimate about fourteen weeks along," the doctor says. "I need to do an ultrasound to know if your baby is healthy, but from what I can tell, it's perfectly fine in there."

"Wait, wait,  _fourteen weeks_?" Effie asks, her eyes wide. "How have I missed it all this time? I had a miscarriage! How am I fourteen weeks pregnant?"

"Well, dear, there's a thing that can happen where two babies grow in separate amniotic sacs, and the mother can miscarry one child while still pregnant with the other," the doctor tells her gently. "So yes, you may well be fourteen weeks pregnant. How often do you have periods?"

"Not very," Effie says, buttoning her skirt back up. "I either bleed for two weeks straight, or don't bleed for months."

"Okay, so you won't have noticed a missing period," the doctor says. "I would definitely say that you're around fourteen weeks. Would you like me to do an ultrasound?"

"Yeah, of course," Haymitch pipes up. 

"Um?!" Effie squeaks, her eyes bugging out. "Why do  _you_ need an ultrasound?"

"I don't, you daft bat, it's for you," Haymitch says. "For Baby."

Effie rolls her eyes. "Well, yes, I do want an ultrasound doing, but I also like to be able to speak for myself," she tells him. "I thought I was supposed to be the chatty one out of the two of us. You always used to comment on it before."

"Well, you always used to blather on about Panem knows what, so  _someone_ had to tell you to shut up," he replies, then squeezes her hand. "Come on, Bug, we're trying to get on for these two weeks."

She pouts, but drags his hand up to her face so that she can kiss it. "Okay," she murmurs. "Okay. No fighting."

The doctor smiles and walks away to get the sonograph machine. Haymitch looks over at Effie and grins. "Well, beautiful, we're about to see the Mini Bug," he murmurs. "How are you feeling?"

"Terrified, and I want out," Effie murmurs. "But I'm excited. I want to look at our little baby."

The doctor comes back over with a small bottle of clear, jellyish liquid. "Okay, dear, can you unfasten your skirt again for me?" she asks. "It's necessary, I don't want to ruin your lovely clothes, and I need to be able to see everything."

Effie bites her lip, then removes her hand from Haymitch's. Her fingers are shaking violently, and it takes her four attempts just to undo the button on her skirt. "Eff, do you need some help?" Haymitch asks worriedly, reaching over.

"Yes, please," she whispers. "I don't trust myself."

He gets up and finishes undoing her skirt, then kisses her lips gently before he sits back down. "It's okay, Bug. You're doing brilliantly. We're going to be cuddled up in the hotel later on. You can nap in the car on the way back," he murmurs soothingly.

She takes his hand again and gently squeezes. "Just hold my hand," she whispers. The doctor squirts a bit of the clear, jellyish liquid onto Effie's lower abdomen, and chuckles softly at her surprised shriek of "Cold!"

"Most women say that," the doctor chuckles. "It's always a shock, it doesn't get much easier."

"No, I can't imagine that it would," Effie mutters bitterly. "The poor baby, it must be freezing in there under that stuff."

The doctor smiles and allows the machine to start up before she places the little wand into the gel. She slowly moves it about, trying to locate the baby's heartbeat, and both Haymitch and Effie tense, the fear of their baby being dead gripping them again. "Is everything okay?" Haymitch asks nervously.

The doctor nods as a small thumping sound starts to come from the sonograph, and she moves the wand down a little, revealing the shape of a tiny baby. "Everything's just fine," she says, smiling. "Your little one's got a strong heartbeat, I started a little too high up."

Effie squeezes Haymitch's hand, a small squeak escaping her. "Oh, my... That's our baby?" she asks, her eyes wide.

"Whose else is it going to be, Princess?" Haymitch asks sarcastically. "Plutarch's?"

"You don't know my life," Effie mutters, rolling her eyes at him. "For all you know, I've been having a wonderful affair with him."

"Yeah, how? Hate to break it to you, Bug, but he's not small enough to fit under our bed, I'd have seen him a mile away," Haymitch chuckles. "And I know you, you've said it more than once, you're Haymitch-oriented."

"Oh, for Panem's sake, Haymitch, I was drunk when I said that!" she whines, then asks "So, is our baby okay?"

"Your baby is perfect," the doctor says gently. "Growing beautifully, and a little big for only fourteen weeks, which is surprising, given your size."

"That's Haymitch's genes," Effie says. "This man is built like a barn door, and he's twice as sturdy."

"I can't help that. Our kid's going to be twice the size of you by the time it's four," Haymitch chuckles. "Hey, what about the vomiting?"

"Oh! Of course. Doctor. is it normal for me to be sick all the time?" Effie asks. "In moving things especially, but just... Randomly?"

"Yes, sickness is totally normal. Some women have it until after the birth, so maybe have smaller meals more frequently, just to keep nourishment for you and the baby regular," the doctor tells her. "Of course, if you can't keep  _anything_ down, I'll prescribe you some medicine to help you with the sickness."

Effie smiles slightly. "No, I can keep food down, as long as I stay perfectly still until I know I've digested everything," she says. "Um, when will I be able to tell people without much risk of losing the baby?"

"You can start whenever you like. After week twelve, the risk of miscarriage drops to ten percent. It's highly unlikely after week twelve, and with the way your baby's grown already, and where the placenta is, you're at the least risk I've seen," the doctor says. 

"When will you be able to tell the gender?" Haymitch asks, enraptured by the screen. "We're going to have to discuss names, baby clothes, and a nursery at some point."

"Usually between sixteen and eighteen weeks, the baby will have obvious genitals, and as long as it doesn't have everything covered all the time, a sonograph will pick them up and you'd get to see for yourself," the doctor says. "I don't think you want me to do a chromosomal test, do you?"

"No," Effie says nervously. "My sister in law had one for her first pregnancy, and it caused her a miscarriage. I don't want that."

Haymitch pales considerably and says "We can wait." He then looks to Effie and asks "So, Bug, when do you want to tell people?"

"When we get home," she says. "We have twelve days to come around to it then, and we have to tell the kids first. They  _will_ kill us if we don't tell them first."

Haymitch laughs and kisses her hand, then returns to watching their baby on the monitor. A small foot kicks out at the wand, and Effie gasps softly. "Did you feel that?" the doctor asks.

"A little bit," Effie whispers. "It was like a little bubbly feeling. Is that normal?"

"Yes, that's normal," the doctor chuckles. "Most women don't feel it until twenty five weeks during their first pregnancy. That's quite impressive that you're feeling it at only fourteen weeks."

"When does it normally get strong enough to feel?" Haymitch asks. 

"Well, thirteen weeks usually, but you probably won't feel it under your palm until she's about twenty weeks along," the doctor tells him. "It's likely that you'll feel it a little sooner, with the baby being a little stronger than most at this age."

Effie smiles a little, her gaze glued to the screen, and says "That's my baby. As strong as its father, with an attitude to rival mine."

The baby kicks again, making her giggle quietly. Haymitch, riveted, asks "Can you feel it when it does that?"

"Only when it's really powerful," Effie breathes. "This is so surreal, isn't it? A baby. A real, living, human being, all small and squishy, just waiting to be cuddled."

The baby wriggles around, a tiny hand stretching out, then a tiny thumb placing itself in the baby's mouth. "Is it... Sucking its thumb?" Haymitch asks quietly.

"Yes, they can do that by fourteen weeks," the doctor replies. 

"Oh, that's so  _cute_ ," Effie whispers, only to watch the baby kick again. "Wait. Watch the baby..."

The baby kicks again, and she lets out a small sob. "What's up?" Haymitch asks nervously.

"Watch," she murmurs. "The baby... Look."

The baby squirms, then kicks its little feet. "It's responding to your voice," Haymitch says, awestruck. "The little thing's actually responding to your voice."

"The baby can hear your voice better than anyone else's," the doctor says. "The vibrations through your body reach the baby, and the sound of your voice will intrigue it. By the time it's nearing the middle of your pregnancy, it will be able to hear both of you, and it'll respond to you both. The sounds of you talking or reading will soothe it."

Effie's eyes are full of tears, and she breathes "That's incredible. This little beauty will be able to hear us. It's a real person."

"No, sweetheart, you're going to give birth to a puppy. Of course it's a person," Haymitch scoffs, without any real heat to his voice. "That's crazy, Bug. It's  _our kid_."

"I can't believe that," she whispers, then sobs softly as the baby wriggles in response to her voice. "Oh, so precious!"

* * *

Back at the hotel, Haymitch tucks Effie into their bed, and she asks "So, darling, now that we have Baby Squish, what do you say that we celebrate? I'm thinking we enjoy the lack of baby bump for as long as we can. What do you say?"

Haymitch sighs, then kisses her gently. "I don't want to hurt you," he murmurs.

"I'm no different to what I was two days ago," she grumbles. "You just know that Baby's in there now. I haven't changed, and nor has Baby."

"I know, but now I know Baby's a thing," he says. "I don't want to hurt it."

"You won't, we did ask the doctor before we left if sex is still a viable option," Effie huffs. "If you don't want to, just tell me so. I won't get mad."

"It's not  _don't want to_ , it's more  _worried about it_ ," he says softly. "You know me, I always want you. I just don't want to hurt our baby."

"You won't hurt it!" she yells. "The baby is going to be fine!"

"No need to shout, Bug," he mutters. "I'm not deaf yet."

She lies down and turns away from him, then angrily mutters "Our sex life died faster than I expected. I thought the honeymoon was supposed to be us making the hotel shake with the force of our lovemaking, but no. All we'll be shaking this building with is our shouting, just like we do at home. I should have known."

"Come on, that's unfair," Haymitch says. "We  _just_ had sex not even two days ago, and you didn't want to yesterday for the exact same reason that I don't want to now."

She doesn't turn back over to look at him, she just mutters "Get into bed. Forget I brought it up. I don't want to be upset any more, for Baby's sake. Get in and go to sleep."

He gets into bed with her and lies down, then places his arm around her waist. She stiffens, but she keeps her mouth shut, ripping her pillow out from under her head and hugging it to her chest. "What's up?" he asks suspiciously. "Are you seriously mad at me over this?"

"Not in the slightest," she mutters, her voice thick and muffled, which suggests she's biting the pillow to prevent sobbing. "Go to sleep."

"Not unless I can see your little face," he replies, gently rubbing her stomach. "Come on, beautiful. Where's your little face?"

She grumbles "I'm not rolling over. Just go to sleep. I will be angry if you don't just let me sleep."

"Sweetheart, come on," he groans. "I don't get like this when you say no, and you'd pitch a fit over it if I did. You're not being reasonable, and Baby Bug isn't to blame for you being like this."

She sighs quietly, then says "Fine, but I don't want to talk when I turn over."

She turns over, and he sees tears in her eyes. His face softens, and she glares at him through the tears. "Bug," he whispers, taking his hand from her stomach to reach for her cheek. She turns back over so that he can't touch her cheek, and he mutters a curse under his breath. "Beautiful, you don't have to hide."

"I don't want to talk now. Go to sleep and stop trying to talk to me. I'm sorry for kicking up a fuss, and for being so horrid about you saying no. It won't be happening again," she whispers, then buries her face in her pillow. "Go to sleep. We'll talk tomorrow."

He sighs, then kisses her nape gently, wrapping his arms around her. She stiffens up again, but still says nothing, then relaxes herself and curls into a ball around her pillow, trapping his arm. "Goodnight, beautiful," he whispers, nuzzling her neck gently.

She says nothing, pretending to have fallen asleep. As soon as she's hearing him snoring evenly, she disentangles herself from him and creeps into the living room. She curls up on the sofa, hugging her pillow tightly, barely even noticing the tears rolling down her cheeks. She rubs her stomach gently and murmurs "Your daddy is the sweetest, most amazing man alive, and you're the luckiest baby in the world to have him for a daddy. How I pulled him, I'll never understand. Your daddy's incredible, sweetheart. You wait and see, he'll give you everything he can and more. We've got an amazing man with us. You'll see when you're born, you're his everything. I've never seen him as happy as when he saw you on that screen, Peanut. He couldn't love anything more than he loves you."

She spends the rest of the night curled up on the sofa, crying silently into her pillow, her whole body tense with the effort to keep herself quiet, and the next morning, Haymitch enters the living room to find her asleep on the sofa, a damp tissue in her hand and her eyebrows narrowed. He sighs and mutters "What am I in for?" He kisses her forehead gently, then gets their duvet and covers her up with it. "Sleep on, beautiful. You could do with the rest."

He makes toast for his breakfast, and watches her sleeping on the sofa. She covers most of her face with the duvet and her face smoothens out, almost as if she's feeling peaceful again. The phone rings, and she makes a grumbly noise as Haymitch pounces on the phone. He picks it up and Katniss asks "Which one of you is that?"

"Haymitch," he hisses. "Effie's asleep, what do you want?"

"I was just checking in. Jo called yesterday, she said she'd seen you and Effie heading home from the hospital in a cab. You passed the train station," Katniss says. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything's fine," he mutters. "She was just really sick yesterday, so we went to get her checked out. There's nothing wrong, she's fine, just got a migraine. All's good, you can stop worrying."

"Okay. Must be fun for you, dealing with a sick Effie. She's a nightmare when she's healthy," Katniss chuckles. "You'd better get scared, she'll be hell spawn if she gets pregnant."

"You don't know the half of it," Haymitch mutters. "She's a pain. It's a good thing she's funny."

"Thank you," Effie huffs from the sofa. "You're calling me names now? That really didn't take long."

"Eff, how long have you been awake?" he asks, horrified.

"Long enough to hear you calling me a pain and saying that it's good for me that I amuse you," she replies, folding her arms. "I really hope you're enjoying being mean about me now."

"Eff, it's Kat," Haymitch sighs. "We're not being horrible, we're talking about what you're going to be like when you're pregnant."

"I already am!" she snaps. "And I don't appreciate being discussed like I just don't exist! I'm going to go and shower, you're not joining me, and when I get out of there, I want to hear something  _not mean_ being said about me!"

"What a moody-" Haymitch starts, under his breath.

"I can hear you!" Effie snaps.

She stomps off and Katniss asks "Did she just say that she's already pregnant, Haymitch?"

"Oh,  _damn it_ ," Haymitch mutters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so here's my explanation. I recently picked up a second job. I was in work until five today, and I didn't get home until quarter to six. The notes and final edits are usually done at 5:30 to 6 in the evening before an update. As it stands, I didn't have my laptop or much data on my phone, so I couldn't update as I usually would. In any case, I hope this won't be a regular thing. If so, I'll notify you of schedule changes. 
> 
> Anyway, now that you have my explanation, please feel free to share your thoughts, ideas for oneshots, constructive criticisms, and opinions on how this is going. I'm all ears for questions. Or eyes, these are comments! 
> 
> Much love and happiness to you all. Until next week. Cat xxx


	23. Telling Katniss and Peeta

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haymitch has to tell Katniss and Peeta about the baby, and Peeta advises him on dealing with Effie's extreme moodiness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everyone. Sorry it's an hour late. I've got this horrible cold, and I literally lost track of everything for the last two hours. You know how it gets, and if you don't, you're very lucky. 
> 
> Anyway, as always, read on!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games, its characters, or its world. All rights go to Suzanne Collins, and I am not Suzanne. I just like playing around with her characters.

"Damn what?" Effie asks, turning around at his tone.

"The girl heard you," Haymitch grumbles. "She knows."

"Oh. Then  _tell her!_ In fact, get the boy to listen in! I don't care if they know! Just let them know!" she growls, then stomps off into the bathroom.

"Put the phone on speaker, girl," Haymitch sighs. Once he's on speaker, he asks "Is the boy with you?"

"I am now," Peeta pipes in. "What's happening?"

"Look, this is between the four of us, five if Willow's there," Haymitch says. "We just found out a couple days ago."

"What?" Peeta asks nervously. "What's going on? Are one of you sick?"

"No," Haymitch says, then takes in a deep breath. "She's pregnant. The suspicions were right, she miscarried one of two babies growing in separate amniotic sacs."

"So how far along is she?" Katniss asks. "Is she okay with it? Are  _you_ okay with it?"

"Fourteen weeks, and yeah to both. She's just all moody on me again. It's not the baby, she's a moody old bat most of the time," Haymitch says.

Peeta's voice is angry when he says "Don't call her that. She's not that bad. You'll only upset her if you call her that. And she'll probably be feeling everything a million times more acutely at the minute. You need to be nicer to and about her if you want her to be happy."

Haymitch rolls his eyes, then grumbles "Yeah, I know. It's not in my nature to say nice stuff about her, you know that. She's just... I don't know, I can't deal with her extra sensitivity, kid. I barely manage with normal Effie levels of sensitivity."

"Well, you're going to have to learn," Katniss says. "She needs to be given more sensitivity. She's got a fiery temper when she's not running wild on hormones. You remember what she was like on the first anniversary of the war. She nearly  _literally_ bit your head off."

"I know," Haymitch says. "I still have the scar from that. See, she's mad at me now because I said no to her last night, for the little thing's sake, and she cried all night, now she won't even talk to me."

"Did you two actually... You know... Before you found out about the baby?" Peeta asks.

"Well,  _yeah_. And you can ask if we've had sex, kid, I've heard way worse," Haymitch scoffs. "Of course we did, what guy wouldn't want a woman like her? Not to sound like some kind of creep, but really, what guy wouldn't go there?"

"Okay, ew," Katniss mutters. "That's  _Effie,_ and no. Just  _no_. Stop. No."

"Well, since you did that then, she probably feels like you don't want her any more now that she's pregnant. Look at it from her viewpoint. You've wanted nothing more than sex with her all this time, and the minute she gets pregnant, you turn her down when she wants you. I get that you don't want to hurt her or the baby, but she knows that she was pregnant on your wedding night, and you still wanted her then, and now that you know about the baby, she feels like you think she's served her purpose. She's probably feeling rejected and lonely. That's probably why she cried herself to sleep last night," Peeta tells him. "She'll see it as nothing but a plan to get a kid, and she'll feel used, rejected, and really unloved. So yeah, while you're right to be cautious, and to not want sex for any reason at all, and you have no reason to justify that to anyone, you don't have to do anything you don't want to do just for her sake, think about her feelings when you tell her no. Don't do it how you usually would, be gentle with her. She likes her flattery, so tell her stuff you usually would in the flattery area, and let her down gently."

Haymitch nods to himself. "You're right, kid. When the hell did you get wise?" he asks. "I should come to you more often."

"Not for your sex life, though. For my sanity," Peeta winces. 

"I can do that just fine, thanks," Haymitch chuckles, then hears the shower shut off. "She's out of the shower. I've got to go. You kids stay safe, don't do anything I wouldn't do, and don't get in any trouble. Also don't tell anyone else about the baby, Effie might want to do that herself. Speak to you soon."

"See you," Katniss says.

"Remember what I told you," Peeta says. "Look after yourself and her. I'll talk to you soon."

Peeta hangs up and Haymitch puts the receiver down, then slumps on the sofa. Effie comes in, wearing a long, black, concealing dress, and her hair is tied back in a braid. Her eyes are rimmed with red, and she strolls to the kitchen area. "Would you like a drink?" she asks, her voice slightly hoarse.

He gets up and walks up behind her, wrapping his arms around her. "You go sit down, beautiful, I'll do this," he says softly, nuzzling her neck. 

"No," she says softly. "Let go of me."

He holds her more tightly and whispers "Sweetheart, I don't know what's going through that pretty head of yours, but I promise you, I'd never do anything to hurt you. I would never use you for anything."

"I know," she whispers. "You're too good to treat me that way. You may be brash with me, but you're a darling underneath. I don't know what the children said to you, and nor do I wish to, but I do want you to know that I'm not upset with you, nor do I think you've used me. Marrying me was a bit far for simply  _using_ me."

"Then why were you crying all night last night?" he asks. "Why did you get all mad at me for saying no? And for calling you names?"

"I wasn't upset that you said no, not really. I just got a bit frustrated because I was really eager to have you, and you just didn't want to. I shouldn't have been so rude about it, you would never do that to me, as you quite rightly pointed out. I am afraid I have been truly horrid to you as of late, and it was unwarranted. You're nothing but lovely to me, and like the ungrateful sack of trash I am, I was horrid about it. I was crying because of that. I feel terrible for treating you so badly, and I was thinking of how sweet and patient you are to keep trying to love a mess like me. I was hurt by being called names, but I understand why you do. To be honest, it's not the worst I've been called. It's almost affectionate in comparison," she says softly, making up two drinks as she talks. "I'm sorry for kicking up a fuss like I did last night. You have every right to say no to me, and I know to accept it. I know how much you've made the most of sex in the past."

He nibbles on her neck gently. "Sweetheart, you're going to hate me for saying this, but you're still the sexiest thing I've ever seen," he murmurs. "I wanted sex last night, but I just worry about our kid. I should have taken your extra squishy feelings into account."

"No, you shouldn't," she whispers. "You're not doing that. You're  _not_ taking my stupidity on as your own fault. If I'm going to be a nuisance, it's my fault. You do not get to make things harder on yourself just because I'm a mess."

"It's not you being stupid, sweetheart. You're all over the place because you're all out of synch with yourself. Babies mess with hormones, and you're extra sensitive right now," he murmurs. "I should be gentler with your feelings."

"Don't you dare. If you start being nicer to me, I'm going to be extremely angry with you," she warns him. "I don't want any special treatment. I'm pregnant, it happens to lots of women. I'm nothing special, so I don't want to be treated as if I am. Now, please let go of me, I want to get the milk out."

He lets go of her, kind of irritated that she won't let him be a bit more useful to her. "You  _are_ special," he says gruffly. "You've always been special."

She gets the milk out, then turns to cup his cheek. "I know I'm special to you," she whispers. "You're special to me. But that doesn't mean that you have to treat me like I'm more than I am."

"You're my princess," he mutters, not looking her in the eyes. "You deserve to be treated that way."

She sniffles, then whispers "You already treat me that way. I like that. I don't want it to change just because of Baby Squish. I might need things doing for me when I get too big to bend down, but other than that, we're keeping the treatment the same."

He shifts, a grumpy look on his face, but he grudgingly says "Fine, no extra treats, as long as you know that I don't like that."

She sighs softly, then puts milk in their drinks. "Okay," she murmurs. She stirs their drinks, then hands him his mug. "Here."

He follows her as she pads over to the sofa and curls up on it, sipping her tea. He sits beside her and asks "Am I forgiven for telling you no?"

"Honey, I told you, you weren't in the wrong. You can't be forgiven if you haven't done anything wrong. If anyone needs forgiving, it's me," she sighs, then rubs his leg gently. "If you like, though, I'll say that it was a missed opportunity for you to have my mouth in places you like my mouth to go. I wasn't expecting sex in the way you were thinking."

"Damn," he mutters. "Why didn't you say that?"

"I was hoping you'd have wanted to have sex with me," she says quietly. "Never mind, I'll do it later. How did the kids take the news?"

"They took it better than I expected them to," he tells her. "No horrified yelling about us being too old for sex. Peeta said that you probably felt rejected because I said no last night, and that still seems likely."

"I will admit, immediately after you said no, I did feel a little bit rejected, but the rational part of my brain completely agreed with you. I know you're only looking out for the tiny one and me. I appreciate that a lot," she says quietly. "I'm not hurt by it now. I don't feel used or rejected, I just want to relax. I promise that I won't overreact like that again. Me being a mess is on me, it's up to me to control the impulses."

She sips her tea, and Haymitch quietly asks "Am I allowed a hug?"

"Since when do you ask me for hugs?" she asks, staring at him. "You know you're always allowed a cuddle if you want to cuddle with me."

He puts his mug down to hug her tightly. "I love you, Effs. Don't you ever forget that. You're a pain, but you're  _my_ pain, and I don't want that to change," he mutters, inhaling the smell of her shampoo. "My beautiful Bug."

She sniffles, then puts her own mug down to cuddle him. "I love you too. As long as that stays a thing, nothing will come between us. I won't change if you don't," she whispers, cuddling him. "You stay perfect, and I'll stay your walking disaster."

"Deal," he murmurs. "Anything to keep your level of craziness, Bug."

"That's my squish. Now, Baby needs food, you need food, I need food. I would really love waffles. What are you after?" she asks, tucking herself under his chin.

"Your kisses, Wafflebug," he whispers.

"You're so cute," she giggles. "Snuggle Buddy. Now, tell your squish what to get you for breakfast."

"Demanding creature," he mutters. "Okay, whatever you decide on. I'll eat anything, you know me."

"So two plates of waffles and some orange juice," she says. "You're just going to have to love me from a distance for a few minutes."

He squeezes her gently. "You monster, a few minutes without you?" he asks, kissing her head. "Unthinkable. You're stuck to me now, Bug shaped."

She laughs, her true, hearty laugh that rings around the room. "Bug shaped!" she shrieks, laughing uncontrollably. Haymitch grins at her and rubs her back while she laughs at him. "Bug shaped!"

"Laugh away, Bug, you're only going to wet the sofa," he chuckles. And as soon as she does, and waddles off with her legs held together, he calls "Soggy Bug!"

Her laughter rings through the room again, and he grins at the sound of her laughter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I hope you enjoyed, and as always, I'd love to hear what you have to say about this, as well as any ideas, questions, and constructive criticism you have.
> 
> As a little encouragement to keep reading, and after this, I feel like you might need it, we have some Johanna, Annie, and River stuff in the next chapter.
> 
> Much love and happiness to you all. Until next time. Cat. xxx


	24. Wandering in Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haymitch and Effie go shopping for the first few things for their baby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone. I know I didn't post last week, and if you follow me on Twitter, you'll know exactly why. I'm late posting tonight because of work and having no ride home, not only due to my horrible week. I'll detail in the end notes.
> 
> Enjoy.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games, its characters, or its world. All rights go to Suzanne Collins, and I am not Suzanne. I just like playing around with her characters.

"We should go shopping," Effie murmurs, lying flat on her back, half asleep. "Tomorrow. For Baby."

"Why?" Haymitch mumbles. "We don't even know what we're having yet, and we won't until we're back in Twelve. We have eight days left here, do you really want to spend it buying stuff we can get in Twelve?"

"I was just thinking to get one of those beautiful little seaside photographs," she hums. "I'd like our baby to see the sea and know that there's more than just Panem."

"There's not, though," he mutters sleepily. "All there is is this. Paylor would have opened up communications again if there was anywhere else. Why do you reckon on there being more?"

"Well, my father used to have a lot of books," she says. "And they were all from before the Dark Days. Places like Europe, and Asia." 

"Come again?" he asks. "Sounds like you're sick. What's a Europe or an Asia?"

"They are  _places_ , my love, try to keep up," she hums. "Apparently, the world could be travelled in a matter of eighty days, according to one of the books. Panem is only a very tiny part of it."

"Aren't those books of your dad's illegal?" he mumbles. "What were you doing with them?"

"Reading," Effie deadpans. "And they're not illegal now. I was thinking of asking him for them when we tell him and Mother about our little one."

"Ugh, do we  _have_ to bring your mom into things?" he groans. "I don't like her at the best of times, and her hating on the baby because of whose it is isn't something I want to deal with."

"She'll just be grateful that she's  _getting_ a grandbaby, darling. She was all hopeful right from me being sixteen that I'd have a baby," Effie sighs. "She knows I'm not leaving you, so she'll be happy that we're finally getting a move on."

"What do you mean,  _finally_?!" he yelps, suddenly a lot more awake. "How long has she been on at you?"

"Long enough," she sighs, then shoots him a  _look._ "Honestly, Haymitch, you know my mother. She likes her children's babies. She'll be delighted when we tell her. And my father does not mean it when he threatens to cut your parts off. He threatened my brothers in law when my sisters had their babies, and they went on to have more."

"I wasn't afraid of that," Haymitch says, then shuffles closer and hugs her, nuzzling her neck. "How long can we leave it before we have to tell your parents?"

"When we know the gender, we'll  _have_ to. They'll both be desperate to start buying for the baby. They have a deep love for babies," Effie says, running her fingers through his hair absent-mindedly. 

"Hopefully, your mom'll find it in her to love you properly, too," he grumbles. "I still hate how she treated you."

"It's over with," she hums. "You and I will be brilliant parents, and our baby will want for nothing."

* * *

As always when Effie wants to do something, they end up out in the shops, buying little seaside-related decorations to hang on their child's bedroom walls. "Eff, does the baby  _really_ need a hanging wall art of a minnow?" Haymitch asks, eyeing the decoration.

"Yes!" Effie exclaims in exasperation. "Of course our baby needs it! He's learning about things already, I want our baby to have as much mental stimulation as he can get."

"So sure it's a boy," Haymitch sighs, then creeps up behind her to kiss her neck. "I'm almost certain it's a girl, sweetheart."

"When has your instinct ever been right over mine?" she challenges. "I'm his mother, I think I know  _quite_ well."

"We'll see," he mutters, then playfully bites her neck.

A loud voice startles them and a few other customers, echoing around them. "If you're going to make Hayffie mocktails, I suggest you  _don't_ do it in a store. I don't know your customs in Twelve, but here, sex in public is frowned on," the woman chuckles.

Both Haymitch and Effie freeze, colouring up at the same time. "Jo?" Haymitch asks quietly.

"I think so," Effie says.

"Johanna," Annie's quiet voice murmurs from the same general direction as Johanna's did. 

"Mitt an' Flea?" River asks hopefully.

Haymitch and Effie turn around from the display they've been looking at and matching awkward smiles stretch across their lips. "Hi," Haymitch says through gritted teeth

"Hello," Effie says in a strained voice. "We weren't expecting to see you here."

"We knew you were in the area," Annie says, approaching them with little River in her arms. "River saw you coming in."

"And naturally, he couldn't  _wait_ to see you," Johanna grumbles, giving the little boy a fond glare. "It's a good thing for him that he's cute."

"Aw, don't be mean," Effie coos, taking River from Annie. Haymitch immediately lunges, trying to help her hold River up. "Haymitch, I can hold a three year old, calm down."

"I'm not worried about you dropping him," Haymitch says, then rubs her back.

Effie smiles fondly at him, then snuggles River. "So, how was the journey back here, girls?" she asks, looking to Annie and Johanna. "Did he behave?"

"We gave him cake," Johanna says. "He ate himself into a food coma."

"Just like his father," Annie sighs wistfully. "I think Finnick would have been proud of how much River's like him."

"He would have been," Effie agrees sadly, a sharp pang of sadness hitting her at the memory of Finnick. "River is very much a small Finnick. Aside from the little dimples he has when he smiles. Those are yours. And as a matter of fact, his hair is a shade darker than Finnick's, more like yours."

Annie smiles a little, and Johanna says "He acts more like Finn. All I see some days is Finn. Other days, he's like Annie."

"Yes, when he's been excited all day the day before, and he just curls listlessly in a ball," Annie whispers, a smile playing on her lips. "I just hope he hasn't got his father's love of girls and trouble."

Effie smiles and says "If we have a son, he's  _definitely_ going to have that love of trouble."

Haymitch says "Our daughter will have a love of boys, just like you."

River asks "Flea, baby?"

"Um," Effie replies, blushing again. "Um, Haymitch?"

"If you like," he replies awkwardly.

"Wait," Johanna says, her eyes going wide at their expressions. "Well,  _damn_ , you two work fast!"

"Seriously?!" Annie squeaks.

Haymitch rubs the back of his neck, and Effie just shuts her eyes and nods. "Panem's not ready for a party-loving baby in a wig with a bottle of moonshine," Johanna chuckles. 

Annie elbows her, then asks "How far along are you, Effie?"

Effie opens her eyes and murmurs "The doctor said fourteen weeks."

"They gave you wine!" Annie gasps. "Isn't that bad for a baby?"

"Well, yes, but only if I had a lot," Effie replies. "I didn't even have a full glass. I drank a quarter of what I was given."

"That's not so bad," Johanna says.

Effie smiles, then hands River back to Annie. "I think I'm going to have a look at those little booties over there. Haymitch, I'll see you in a few minutes. Annie, Jo, it's been lovely talking to you. River, be good for Mommy and Auntie Jo," she says, then scurries off.

"What's with her?" Johanna asks.

"I have no idea," Haymitch says, shrugging. "She's probably run off to find something to vomit into."

"Typical," Johanna scoffs. 

"Pregnancy sickness is no joke," Annie says, pressing a kiss to River's head. "You should go and find her, she might need you there."

"Those two have homing sensors on them," Johanna mutters.

"Flea there!" River exclaims, pointing to Effie, who's kneeling in front of a small boy. "Flea!"

A burly man, dressed in his fishing gear, walks up behind the little boy and looks down at Effie. Haymitch's heart twists weirdly as Effie slowly stands up. "She's going to get punched," he mutters, then bolts over to her.

The man says "He's okay now, ma'am. You had no harmful intents on him."

"I wouldn't hurt a child," Effie says gently, her hand on her stomach. "He's a lovely boy."

"You okay?" Haymitch asks, rubbing her back.

"Yes, darling, I'm fine. I just had the pleasure of meeting Riley and his father," she says, smiling up at the man, who dwarfs even Haymitch. "They're really lovely, sweetie."

"I like Miss Effie," the little boy she'd called Riley pipes in. "Can we have her and Mr Haymitch over for dinner, Dad?"

"Not sure your mom would like that," the man chuckles. "Besides, I'm guessing they're here for themselves this time."

"You got that right," Haymitch says, hugging Effie close. "The invite was nice, kid, but we don't like to intrude."

* * *

"I hope our son is as lovely as little Riley is," Effie hums, strolling along beside Haymitch as they head to the market. "I'd love to think of another newly married couple wanting a baby like ours."

"You could be having a girl," Haymitch points out. "We don't know yet."

"I know, but I told you, I feel like it's a boy. Anyway, regardless, I want others to view our baby how we'll view it. As the perfect, loving, wonderful baby it is," she says, then glances down at her front. "Do you think I'm starting to show?"

"Not really," he says. "There's not really much to either you or the kicker yet. Trust me, I'll tell you when you're getting bigger."

"Does  _any_ part of me suggest a baby?" she asks, turning to press her nose to his chest.

"The vomiting does," he says, petting her. "And you're looking a bit bigger in the chest area."

She smiles and kisses his cheek. "More for you to like," she chuckles. "I can't wait to have a proper bump. I want to show our baby off."

"You'll hate being pregnant when you get bigger," he predicts. "Katniss did."

"But Katniss didn't really want to be a mother until she had Willow," Effie counters. "I want to be a mommy."

Haymitch shrugs. "Fine. But you'll still want it off your spine. Make the most of being small. Besides, you'll probably be showing properly in the next week or so," he says, then kisses the top of her head. "You'll look like a balloon."

"I'll go on a sex strike if you say that to me," she warns him. "Mean comments make for no sex."

"Understood," he replies, hugging her tightly. "I won't be nasty if you won't go on sex strikes."

"Okay. No sex strike yet," she giggles. "I'll be nice."

He kisses her head gently. "That's my Bug," he murmurs into her dark curls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I hope you liked that. I don't know if I like how this chapter turned out, so hopefully the next one is better. I won't be posting next week, as next week is Christmas Day, but I will be uploading a Christmassy one-shot for the world on Christmas Eve. 
> 
> Now, my explanation for last week: As many of you know, I love my rodents. My two year old rat got sick last week, and I was home as much as I could be at home nursing him. He was in a horrible state last week, and the chapter was only half-done. I've had next to no time to write, between him and work, so I had to miss a week. Anyway, yesterday, after I'd put him in his cage for a nap before his next feed, I sat down to get a rest, seeing as I'd walked home from work in heavy winds, and I was tired. I went to check in, and I found him on the floor of his cage. I hoped with everything I had that he was just sleeping, which he was prone to doing, due to his illness. Needless to say, I was wrong. He passed on peacefully, but I was unable to think right. Updates will be more regular after this month, and I'm sorry I had to miss a week. 
> 
> On New Year's Day, we'll be discovering the Hayffie baby's gender. 
> 
> That said, please let me know what you thought of this chapter, any ideas you may have, ask any questions you have, share your theories, and any constructive criticisms. Thank you all for being patient with me, and for reading this story. Much love and happiness to you all. Until January 1st. Cat xxx


	25. It's A...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haymitch and Effie have returned to Twelve, and Haymitch has booked Effie in for an ultrasound to determine the sex of their baby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone, and happy 2019! I hope this new year sees you achieve your goals, brings you happiness, and sees you all growing as people. I'm so pleased to have you all here, and I hope you're all excited. 
> 
> For this story, this year will bring us a Hayffie baby, sarcasm, and jokes, not to mention impressionable toddlers, and gooey moments to melt your hearts. Enjoy. 
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games, its characters, or its world. All rights go to Suzanne Collins, and I am not Suzanne. I just like to play around with her characters.

"You did what?!" Effie screeches as the train pulls in.

"I booked you in at the clinic for the day we get back," Haymitch says. "You said you wanted to know what we're having. So I've made it easy."

"I didn't want to go straight to the clinic," she whines. "I wanted some time to be at home and do  _fun stuff_ , if you catch my drift."

He gets it, all right, and he smirks. "Sweetheart, after getting married to me, I was hoping you'd know my name is  _Haymitch_ , not  _Fun Stuff_."

She groans and presses her face on his shoulder. "I hate you. Why did you have to make that joke?" she complains, wrapping her arms around him.

"It's called a dad joke," he says smugly. "And I'm allowed to make those now."

"You  _do_ know that our baby is going to have the same reaction to those jokes as I do, don't you?" she asks, looking up at him with her nose scrunched up.

"Yeah, but that's how  _all_ kids and their moms react to dad jokes," he says, kissing her nose. "And that adds to the hilarity of it for me. And it gets worse with every generation."

"Ugh," she groans. "And now we're  _adding_ to this monstrosity that is your jokes. Do not make my baby the punchline of your terrible jokes."

"Or what?" he asks teasingly. "Will I be in  _your_ punch line?"

She makes a face at him, then hugs him tightly. "No, but I promise to kiss you silent every time you make terrible jokes. If our child is the punchline, you get  _no kisses_ for a full two days."

"Two days?!" he gasps in mock horror. "How will I ever live without your kisses for  _two whole days_?!"

"Does this District bring out your sarcasm and bad humour, or is it just the excitement over being home?" she asks flatly.

He rolls his eyes, then picks her up and kisses her. "You need to grow a sense of humour, Princess, this is going to be tiring for us both," he tells her. "You used to enjoy play fighting."

She pouts, then kisses his lips. "I do, but I'm not in the mood to play fight. I want to go home and have fun. And  _no more jokes about that_ ," she warns him.

"Fine, but the longer we stand here, the less time we have to have fun," he says, kissing her lips before he grabs their bags. She reaches out to take one, and he glares at her. She glares back and he firmly says "No. You're not taking any of these."

Her glare turns to steel and her voice is icy as she asks "Are you saying that I'm not helping you carry all of  _our_ bags, despite half of them being mine, because of the baby?"

"Yeah, I am," he replies, sensing her anger and getting his defences up as he starts to walk away. "I am saying that. The baby's not as good at handling your physical stress as you are. We're not risking her. If it was you, I'd be a bit more willing to let you, but you've got the baby. I'm not doing that to the kid. Now walk, beautiful, we've got stuff to do."

"You're such a caveman," she grumbles, stomping after him. "Plenty of expecting mothers can carry at least her toiletries."

"Your toiletries include six eyeshadow palettes, all your washing gear, pads used when you're out and can't access a toilet when you need to go, and about nine different types of cream, plus a massive can of deodorant. The average pregnant woman has less of everything, making it lighter. Sorry, beautiful, but you're not winning this one," he tells her, in a tone of finality that she knows won't be swayed by her argument.

"Fine," she huffs. "I'm not happy about this, by the way. You're going to be complaining of a sore back, and I will have to look after you, all because you're stubborn."

"I want my kid and my wife to be safe and healthy," he tells her. "If a stiff back is the price to pay, fine. And you're not doing anything for it, all it'll need is a nap, and it'll be fine again."

She glares at him again, but shrugs anyway. "If you're so determined to be pig-headed, have it your way," she tells him. "I'll just walk. I tell you now, if this one's a girl, I'm warning her that if she has a baby, she'll lose all of her independence during pregnancy."

"If that's a little girl, she's not ever going to have kids," he says. "No way. I'll put her on house arrest if she starts liking boys."

"No, you won't!" she gasps, covering her stomach protectively. "She can come to us and talk about it. I'll ensure that she's  _married_ before she even considers having any man's child. And what if it's a boy? What will we do if it's a boy and he starts liking girls?"

"No. My son doesn't get to do that to some other family. I know what I was after when I started to like girls, and it wasn't pure or nice," he grumbles. "Nobody wants to deal with pregnancy scares, and I'll be damned if some girl's father comes to beat my son up."

Effie pouts at the idea, then says "I'll fight him for our baby. Nobody gets to hurt my child."

"No man would be afraid of a noodle like you," Haymitch chuckles, a little out of breath. "But it's cute that you'd try."

"After having babies, I probably won't look like a noodle any more," she says. "I mean  _look_. I don't look like a noodle now."

"Nah, you still look like a noodle," he tells her, smirking. "Just a pregnant noodle."

"Have you seen many of those?" she asks dryly.

"Just you," he replies, smirking at her. She glances at him, but offers nothing else. The walk back to the Village is silent, and once inside their own home, Haymitch turns to Effie, who's already walking in the direction of the living room. "Bug?"

Nothing. He follows her, leaving his shoes on, worried that he's upset her, and sees her sitting down on the sofa. She looks up at him, then pats the seat next to her. "Come on," she says quietly, her face full of expectancy. He sits beside her and she immediately snuggles up to him. "How does your back feel?"

"Fine," he says. "If it's going to complain, it'll be tonight, after we've started to relax for the night."

"Probably," she hums, then brings his hand to her stomach. "I want to nap."

"Have a nap, then. I'll wake you when we have to set out," he says, kissing her head gently. 

* * *

"Bug, it's time to go," Haymitch murmurs, about an hour later.

"Five more minutes," Effie mumbles.

"No, sweetheart, we have to go," he murmurs, petting her head. "Come on, beautiful, wake up. Do you want to see Baby?"

"Yes," she grumbles. "But not in the middle of my nap."

"Fine, I'll carry you," he tells her, and gathers her in his arms. He stands up and carries her out of the house, deciding it's easier to walk around with her in his arms than it is to walk around with her hanging onto his arm. He carries her to the clinic, and allows her to wake naturally once he's checked her in. She wakes just as the doctor calls for her, and Haymitch murmurs "We're going in, beautiful."

"Did you really carry me here?" she asks softly, blinking sleep from her eyes.

"Yeah," he says. "You're still light enough to carry, beautiful."

She walks alongside him into the doctor's office, and snuggles up to him for comfort as she registers the smell of the place. "Keep hold of me," she whispers.

"As always," he whispers back. 

They enter the office, and the doctor leans back with a smile on his face. "Hello," he says, and his accent strikes them both with the memory of Chaff. "How can I help you both?"

"It's this one we're here for," Haymitch says, squeezing Effie gently, prompting the doctor to check the appointments.

"Ah, I see. So what you're after is a sixteen weeks check up on the baby?" the doctor asks.

"That's it," Haymitch says. 

"Okay, then," the doctor says, and looks to Effie. "Do you want to lie down on that bed?"

Effie nods, and Haymitch lifts her onto the bed, lying her down carefully. "You okay like that?" he asks quietly.

She nods again, then stretches out. "Fine," she whispers.

The doctor approaches her and asks "Can you lift your shirt to your ribs and unfasten your skirt, please?"

Effie blushes a little, and Haymitch places his hand on hers. She unfastens her skirt one handed and lowers it slightly before she lifts her shirt up to her ribs. The doctor nods, then palpates her stomach gently, his eyes and movements calculating. After a few minutes, he says "For sixteen weeks, you're a little smaller than average."

"She's had a rough few weeks since nausea kicked in," Haymitch says, almost defensively. 

"It's okay, it's not dangerous," the doctor tells him, hoping to reassure him. "Is this your first?"

Effie swallows hard. "It's the first I've got to sixteen weeks with," she says quietly.

The doctor nods, but keeps quiet about that. "Okay. I'll do an ultrasound. If the baby's lying in the right position, we'll be able to tell if it's a boy or a girl," he tells them, and smiles a bit at the way they light up. "Am I right in assuming you want to know?"

"Yes," Effie whispers.

Haymitch points to her, and the doctor nods. He gets out a tube of gel that immediately makes Effie wince, and smiles a bit. "I take it you're familiar with this," he says, amused.

"Unfortunately, yes," Effie sighs. "Let's get the ice out of the way."

The doctor squirts a little of the gel onto her skin and chuckles softly at her sharp intake of breath as he takes the wand out of its holder. "Ready?" he asks, sitting down next to her, opposite Haymitch. Effie nods, and watches as he places the wand in the gel. She squeezes Haymitch's hand gently, her eyes glued to the screen in the hopes that their baby's okay. Finding the baby takes a second, causing both Haymitch and Effie's hearts to stop, but the doctor smiles and says "Here it is, don't worry."

Effie smiles in relief and asks "Is my baby okay?"

"Your baby's fine," the doctor says. "It's healthy, and developing well. Would you like to see?"

"Absolutely," they reply in eager unison.

The doctor turns the monitor to them, revealing the shape of a tiny baby. Effie breathes "Oh my word, Haymitch... Look at it! That's our little baby!"

Haymitch smiles and says "Our kid's certainly going to be the prettiest member of the family."

"Without a doubt," Effie whispers.

"Have you got an idea of what you're having?" the doctor asks.

"A baby," Haymitch chuckles. 

"No," Effie says, rolling her eyes. "We don't have a guess as to what our baby is yet."

The doctor chuckles and points to the baby's legs on the screen. "That there isn't the second leg," he says. "The second leg is next to it, over here. This one's spread out."

"That means..." Effie whispers, her eyes like saucers. 

"You're having a boy," the doctor says, smiling at her. "Look, these are his hands, nowhere near his middle, and these are his feet."

Effie's eyes tear away from the screen to lock on Haymitch's, and she breathes "We're having a boy."

Haymitch grins at her and gently squeezes her hand. "You were right," he says quietly. "We're having a son."

The grin she gives him lights up her whole face, and she whispers "He's beautiful. He's  _definitely_ the most beautiful member of our family."

"And the purest," Haymitch adds softly.

* * *

"Are you both still coming for dinner tonight?" Peeta asks.

"We still going over to the kids' place for dinner?" Haymitch asks, looking over to Effie, who's already started to knit a blanket for the baby. 

"Yes, of course we are," she says. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Sure," Haymitch says, then smirks at Effie. "You don't mind if she brings her knitting, do you? She's all eager to start doing something for the kid."

Peeta chuckles. "We don't mind, it'll be nice to see her enjoying making stuff," he says. "Did you find out what you're having?"

"Yeah, but I think she wants to see your reaction when we tell you," Haymitch chuckles, watching Effie's smile at the reminder.

"That's fine," Peeta says. "Are you both happy with it?"

"We're more than happy," Haymitch says. "We've got a healthy kid."

"Well, congratulations," Peeta says warmly. "I'm glad it's doing well. How's Effie handling it?"

"She's doing great, she's curled up in a ball on the sofa, she's knitting, and she's smiling," Haymitch tells him, giving Effie a fond glance. "You know what she's like when she gets good news, she's all fuzzy."

"Good. Well, I'd better get making the food, we've got a fair bit to make," Peeta says. 

"All right, have fun," Haymitch says. "See you in a few hours."

"See you," Peeta says, and Haymitch hangs up.

He strolls over to Effie and wraps his arms around her. "Hey, beautiful," he says quietly, hugging her. "How's this going?"

"Well," she hums. "I just hope he'll be warm enough in it. Are the children okay?"

"Yeah, they're fine. Eager to know what the newest member of the family is," he says. "They didn't believe me last night when I told them it's a pigeon."

"I wonder why," she deadpans. "And our son won't be a bird, I can promise you that. If it was you carrying, they might believe it."

"Sweetheart, if I was the one pregnant, I'd be a seahorse," he tells her, then kisses her neck. 

She laughs, then squeaks softly. "Ooh, what was that?" she asks softly, placing her hand on her stomach. "Was that you, baby?"

She's silent for a moment, then giggles. "Was it him?" Haymitch asks quietly.

"Yes, I think it was," she giggles. "I can't feel him on my hand, but I can  _definitely_ feel him moving around in there. There's no way that's gas, it's far too strong."

He leans in and kisses her cheek, then puts his hand on her stomach, just beneath hers. "He's moving around?" he asks softly, nuzzling her neck.

"Every time you touch me," she whispers. "You make my heart do funny things, and he responds to it."

Haymitch chuckles and says "Get used to it, little stuff. When you see her, you'll understand why I can't stay away."

"Flatterer," Effie giggles. "Daddy's wearing rose tinted glasses, my little nugget."

"As if," Haymitch scoffs. "Mommy's adorable, and you'll understand that when you see her. She is beautiful, I promise."

"I think we should have a nap before we go to the kids' place," Effie says softly. "It would be nice to lie in our own bed again."

"No arguments here," he says, then sweeps her up into his arms. "Come on, tiny stuff, time for a nap."

He carries her upstairs, knitting and all, and lies her down in their bed, laughing with her the whole time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, surprise! It's a boy! I did consider it being a little girl, but I decided that a boy fits in better with my long-term plans for this story.
> 
> Drop me a line with your ideas, constructive criticisms, opinions, and theories as to what'll come next. I always love chatting to you all.
> 
> I hope you had a brilliant holiday, no matter your celebrations. Much love and happiness to you all. Until next time. Cat xxx


	26. Talking to Peeta

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Effie and Peeta have a moment after dinner, discussing their children.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone, and welcome back. I really didn't think I would have this one up on time. I haven't had _any _inspiration to write lately, so this is a miracle.__
> 
> __Anyway, I hope you've had a nice week, and that this is satisfactory. Enjoy._ _
> 
> __Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games, its characters, or its world. All rights go to Suzanne Collins, and I am not Suzanne. I just like playing around with her characters._ _

Halfway through dinner, Katniss asks "So, you two found out what you're having today, then?"

"Yeah," Haymitch says, a grin making its way across his face as he takes a mouthful of chicken and pasta.

"Are you telling us?" Peeta asks, grinning.

Haymitch points at Effie, who smiles at him fondly, then looks at the younger couple with excitement. "It's a boy!" she announces, a broad smile splitting her face.

 Katniss gapes for a second, then yells "I told you! There was no way I'd be wrong!"

"Have I missed something?" Effie asks. 

"Peeta thought that you were having a girl, seeing as I was sick a lot with Willow, and I told him that seeing as sickness is common with the males in your family, it's more likely to be a boy," Katniss explains.

Haymitch nods, then says "My mom was sick all the time with my brother and me. Seems like it runs in the family."

Effie smiles slightly, her hand lowering to her stomach. "I just hope it goes away. I like eating, and I like having my food stay down," she says softly.

Peeta chuckles. "I'm glad you like your food again," he tells her warmly. "I honestly didn't think you'd ever eat a full meal."

Effie grins at him. "I have Haymitch, and if I don't eat, he won't give me snuggles for two hours," she says. "It ensures that I get full meals."

Katniss lifts an eyebrow. "You really need to be bribed into eating?" she asks, the food topic still touchy with her.

"She has a rough time keeping her food," Haymitch reminds her. "Especially when she first got released, she was a mess. Nothing got down her throat."

Effie blushes. "Can we not? I just want to think about now," she says. "And the future."

Haymitch reaches over and rubs Effie's back gently, and the four of them return to safer conversations and their dinner.

* * *

After dinner, Katniss drags Haymitch into the living room to tend to Willow and sit in silence, while Peeta and Effie take care of the dishes. "Are you excited to be a mother?" Peeta asks quietly, too wary of Effie's sensitive hearing.

"I am, actually," she says softly, a warm smile on her face. "I didn't think I would be."

"What made you think that?" Peeta asks, surprised. "I thought you would have been really eager right from the positive pregnancy test."

Effie shrugs, an uncharacteristic move that intrigues Peeta further. "I didn't want a child, not really," she admits. "Even when I agreed to try, I wasn't convinced on it. I didn't want to be a mother."

"Then why did you agree to try?" Peeta asks, almost accusingly. "It's not like a kitchen appliance, you can't just return a baby."

"I know," she says softly, stepping away from him, as if she's afraid of his anger. "I know. I agreed to try because I knew that I'd be giving my husband exactly what he wanted, and I know that I can love deeply when I set myself to it. My child wouldn't have been  _made_ being totally wanted, but it would grow up knowing unconditional love from both its father and me. And anyway, when I'd got over the initial confirmation and that little rough spot, it felt  _nice_. Still scary, but nice."

"You're not doubting having it now, are you?" Peeta asks. "Because if you are, it's better to talk to Haymitch now than when you've delivered, he'll be all eager to have this kid."

"I'm not doubting motherhood, no," Effie whispers, drying a plate. "I wouldn't give my son up for anything. I wouldn't. I can't have him and give him up. I'll never doubt being his mother."

"Then what  _are_ you doubting?" Peeta asks, all anger gone, replaced with concern. 

"My ability to be a good mother," she murmurs, deciding to tell Peeta exactly what she doesn't feel ready to tell anyone else. "Please don't say anything to Haymitch, I don't want him to worry."

"I won't tell him anything," he promises. "Why are you worried about being a good mother? You're basically a mom already to Katniss and me."

"You two were sixteen when you came into my life. You were almost fully grown, and you didn't depend on me to keep you clean, fed, watered, loved, warm, and dressed. You didn't rely on me when you got sick, or had nightmares, or needed to pass gas. You didn't need me to teach you right from wrong, or how to walk, talk, run, crawl, any of it. You weren't so tiny and delicate that I had to hold you a certain way or lift your head when I lift your body. You weren't so fragile that I worried about you falling over," she whispers. "I don't know if I can be there for my baby all the time. I don't know if I can wake up in the night for him. I don't know if I can be a good mother, Peeta. I don't worry about Haymitch, he's got all the makings of an excellent father, but I have  _nothing_. I have the maternal instinct of a plank. I have about as much knowledge about babies as I do about astronomy. I'm going to be awful at this, and the baby's going to hate me."

Peeta puts the glass he's washing in the sink and dries his hands before hugging Effie tightly. "That's not true, Effie. The baby's going to adore you. You'll be a great mom. You'll see. Kat said the same thing about not being maternal enough, and you've seen her and Willow," he says gently, stroking Effie's hair.

"I'm not Katniss, though. I never had anyone to look after and love like she did. She practically raised little Primrose. I'm nowhere  _near_ that good," Effie whispers. "Nowhere near as amazing as that. How am I ever going to look after my little boy? I'm not even capable of looking after myself."

"Trust me, Effie, you'll do just great," Peeta tells her, rubbing her back gently as he hears the tell-tale thickness in her voice. "And you're not doing this alone. You have Haymitch, Katniss, and me. You're going to be fine, I promise. And if you're ever concerned that you're not doing too well, ask someone. We're never going to judge you. Your son's going to be the happiest kid alive. You watch."

She sniffs slightly, and hugs him tightly. "I love you," she whispers. "You're always going to be my first son, no matter what."

"Aw, Effie," Peeta chuckles, a sudden wave of emotion overcoming him. "See? How can any kid feel unloved with you around? You're a great mom."

Effie hugs him for a few minutes longer, regaining her composure, then asks "How are you handling fatherhood, then? We've talked about me, but nowhere near enough about you. What's life doing for you?"

"To me, more like," Peeta chuckles. "I love Willow, but she's a handful. She's a loud little thing, just like her mother. She's stubborn, fiesty, and hates bathing."

"Sounds like Buttercup," Effie chuckles. 

"Exactly. He's a bad influence on that little girl," Peeta says, grinning. "But other than her being the human form of our cat, she's great. She's starting to sleep a little more in the night now. She's eating more but less frequently, and Kat thinks she's teething."

"Oh, no," Effie groans. "If that's the case, there's a chance she might start getting irritable. My nephew, Malachi, he got a fever while teething, and none of us knew what to do with him."

"What happened?" Peeta asks.

"Well, my sister in law took him straight to the hospital and demanded to know what was going on, seeing as there were no other signs of a cold," she says, smiling. "She wore the doctors right down. It's funny in hindsight, but at the time, we were all terrified."

"Didn't your parents know what to do?" he asks. "You did say you were the only one who had a nanny."

"My parents were on a cruise," she says. "No reception out there. We couldn't get hold of them."

"Ah, I see," Peeta says. "You're not going to rely on them for your son, are you?"

"Oh, heavens no," Effie chuckles, her hand fluttering to her stomach. "I haven't even told them that it's a boy yet. Mother will flip, she's expecting a granddaughter from me."

"What about your dad?" he asks.

"He'll be glad I kept the baby," she says. "He wasn't expecting me to ever have a child."

* * *

Three hours later, back in their own home, Haymitch asks "What were you and the boy talking about?"

"Telling my parents about their grandson," Effie chuckles. "And how Willow's started teething."

"Yeah, the girl was saying. I didn't think kids started teething until later on," Haymitch says.

"No, their symptoms of teething start at three months," she hums, placing her hand over his heart. "The teeth start coming through at any time from four months old to six months old."

"Really?" he asks, his eyes wide. "So ours might start teething soon after he's born?"

"He could," Effie says. "I don't know, all babies are different. All I know is I want a nap."

"They fed you well," Haymitch chuckles, then kisses her head. "Okay, Bug, sleep. I'll carry you to bed if needs be."

"You're the best husband ever," she giggles.

She's asleep within minutes, and Haymitch smiles, watching her sleep, almost completely curled up. He rubs her small baby bump gently and murmurs "Your mom is the cutest woman ever, little guy. You wait and see, you're going to love her."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, for anyone confused with the timeline, this is now around mid-September, and you all know what that means! Yeah, there's a festival coming up. 
> 
> As always, please leave me a comment with your thoughts, opinions, and constructive criticisms below. I'm always here to chat. I hope you've enjoyed your week, and I hope this next one goes well for you.
> 
> Much love and happiness to you all. Until next week. Cat xxx


	27. The Harvest Festival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Harvest Festival has arrived, and Effie, never one to miss a big event, decides she wants to make a day of it with Haymitch, Peeta, Katniss, and Willow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, and welcome back, folks. This chapter takes place a week after the last one, and there's about to be a massive festival, spanning the entire weekend, and things start to make a bit more sense. We also get some surprise visitors in here, too.
> 
> Oh, and for any underage readers, adult content is coming, so when you see the (!) symbols, it's probably time to skip a bit, until you reach the (^_^) thing. :)
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games, its characters, or its world. All rights go to Suzanne Collins, and I am not Suzanne. I just like playing around with her characters.

"You can eat my dust," Effie mumbles into her pillow. "I'm rescuing that poor marshmallow, whether you like it or not."

Haymitch grumbles sleepily, his eyes fluttering open. "Effie, the damn marshmallow is a food," he grumbles.

"Stop it! Hasn't that poor thing suffered enough?! Put that marshmallow down!" she growls, slapping at air. "That marshmallow has never harmed you, so leave it be!"

"What's with you and the marshmallows?" Haymitch groans, petting her sleepily as he tries to dispel the fog of sleep from his brain. "They're food, they don't need protecting."

"Put that squishy mallow down!" Effie yells, loudly enough to wake herself. "Who's yelling?!"

"You are," he grumbles. "What is  _with_ you and marshmallows, Princess? You've got a weird dream saga going here."

"Those marshmallows are  _alive_ ," she yawns, snuggling down. "They have faces, and they can cry, and they're classed as animals. I'm their protector, a leader of the Marshmallow Protection Society. It's not as weird when I'm dreaming it."

He kisses her head and stretches out under her. "I'll bet it's not, but it's weird to hear you talking," he tells her. "So what do you do in your dreams?"

"Free the marshmallows," she says. "I have to stop people eating them alive, or worse yet,  _roasting_ them alive. It's brutal, and it makes me sad."

"You're the weirdest creature I've ever met," he murmurs. "Should we get up?"

"No," she sighs, stretching. "I can't have coffee now, and decaffeinated coffee is just like drinking hot coffee water. It doesn't wake me, I just get sad."

"Look, the baby won't react well to coffee," he says, for what feels like the millionth time. "He's not going to be in there forever."

"No, but he'll feed from me, and I happen to think that he should get used to Mommy's daily dose of coffee in a morning. I mean, I had coffee every morning before I knew about him living in there, and nothing bad happened," she says. "He's probably wondering why he's not being caffeinated."

"Are you seriously trying to convince me to give you coffee?" he asks, chuckling.

"All I'm saying is that Mother drank coffee during her pregnancy with me, and I turned out okay," she says, shrugging. 

"Yeah, and you're a  _midget_ ," he replies, grinning. "Your sisters are five foot nine and five foot ten. Your brother's six foot five. Both your parents are over six foot tall."

"Mother craved coffee with me," she tells him. "All I'm saying is, is our son will probably be a giant anyway, just like you. I was the exception to the rule. And I'm not a midget, I'm just not a giant like you."

"You're not getting coffee," he says. "Not the caffeinated stuff, anyway."

"Come on," she groans. "I'm dying for it over here. Our baby wants it as much as I do. He isn't as kicky as I'd like."

"So you want to pump him with caffeine?" he asks flatly.

She shrugs. "He might need it," she says quietly.

"He might want a nap," Haymitch fires back. "You can't have coffee, beautiful."

"One mug a day?" she asks softly. "Just to wake me up."

"Not. A. Chance," he replies, then kisses her nose. "Sorry, Bug, but no."

"I hate you," Effie huffs. "I need a shot of caffeine. Our son might be wondering why Mommy isn't giving him the coffee his amniotic fluid was made of."

"We both know amniotic fluid isn't made of coffee, beautiful," he chuckles. 

She folds her arms. "Not any more, it's not," she grumbles. "I'm  _desperate_ , squishy. I really, really need a bit of coffee. Not even a lot. A cup a day will be okay. I can even ask a doctor."

Haymitch rolls his eyes, then grabs Effie's tablet. "I'll look it up," he sighs, hating that he has to deny her anything. A minute later, he says "One cup of instant."

"That's  _perfect_!" she squeaks, and bolts out of bed. "Coffee, here I come!"

Haymitch lies back and sighs "What have I married?"

* * *

"So you're telling me that she's allowed a mug of coffee a day?" Katniss asks two hours later. Haymitch nods, and Katniss glares at Peeta. "I  _told_ you that having a mug of coffee a day wouldn't be bad for Willow!"

"How was I to know?!" Peeta yelps, shocked at the sudden anger from his wife. "I thought coffee stunted the baby's growth!"

"It does, in large quantities," Effie says. "But a little is fine. And this little man is used to my body running entirely on caffeine."

"As in, her caffeine stream had blood in it," Haymitch says, rolling his eyes at the phrase.

Effie nods eagerly. Peeta asks "Don't you mean her blood stream had caffeine in it?"

"Nope," Haymitch sighs. "This time a month ago, if you cut her, coffee would come out instead of blood."

Effie smiles and says "That's why I said our son might be curious about why he's not living in the caffeine sac he was made in."

Haymitch rolls his eyes and Katniss asks "Seriously? How much coffee did you drink?"

"Not enough," Effie says grimly. "But Haymitch is adamant that the baby doesn't live in coffee. Something about amniotic fluid not being coffee."

"It's not," Katniss, Haymitch, and Peeta reply in unison.

"You don't know how much coffee I drank," Effie says sagely. "Believe me, it was."

"That can't have been good for you, let alone the baby," Peeta says, gaping a little. "How are you still alive?"

"I've been drinking coffee since I was two, my heart is used to pumping coffee around my body," Effie replies.

"And suddenly, your midget size in comparison to your family is fully explained," Haymitch chuckles. "You just haven't grown since you were two."

"I was not a five feet and six inches tall toddler, Haymitch!" Effie yelps. "I'm average height for a woman, and if you don't believe me, look it up!"

Katniss takes out her phone, and a few seconds later, says "The average female adult height for Panem is five feet and eleven inches."

"See? Midget," Haymitch chuckles.

"By that standard, so is every woman native to Twelve!" Effie squeaks. "Ugh, I hate you sometimes. We're going to the fair, come on."

"You're not going to buy her another sugar pop, are you?" Katniss asks. "I don't need a repeat of the last fair we went to."

Effie pouts. "I'll have you know that my sugar tolerance is better since then. I haven't reacted to sugar that way in  _months_ , and Panem knows I've had a lot since," she grumbles, folding her arms.

"You looked a lot more intimidating on your sky-scraping toothpick heels, Eff," Haymitch tells her, kissing her head. "Wasn't she?"

"Yeah," Katniss says, grinning. "As you are, Effie, you kind of just look cute."

"I'll leave you in that fair," she threatens. "I hate you."

She stomps out ahead of them, and Haymitch rolls his eyes. Peeta asks "Shouldn't we go after her?"

"Nah, she forgot her coat, she'll be cold," Haymitch says, grinning. 

Sure enough, Effie comes back in two minutes later, looking cold and embarrassed. "I forgot my coat," she mutters angrily. 

Haymitch seizes his chance and hugs her tightly. "Got you," he says. "I'm going to melt you, tiny icicle."

"I still hate you, no matter how warm you are," she huffs, snuggling up to him and sighing. "I still hate you, I'm also very cold."

"Yeah, yeah, you'll be snuggled up to me all day," he mocks gently. 

Peeta asks "Shall we get going? I'll go put Willow's coat on her. Kat, you ready?"

"Yeah, whenever you are," she says, gathering up the used mugs to wash them.

Effie whispers "I still hate you, squishy."

Haymitch chuckles. "Calling me squishy ruins the effect of your hate," he tells her, rubbing her back. "Are you warming up?"

"A bit," she whispers. "Still too cold to move. I think I need a squeeze."

He squeezes her gently, then rests his chin on her head. "Have you two thought of names for the baby yet?" Katniss asks.

"I have," Haymitch says, which makes Effie startle. 

"You  _have_?" she asks, pulling back a little to stare at him. "What have you picked?"

"I'm not picking any, I've just been thinking," he says awkwardly. 

"When did you start thinking?" she asks, causing Katniss to laugh loudly. "I mean, when did you start thinking about names for the baby?"

He shifts uncomfortably. "Never mind when," he mumbles. 

"So what have you thought about?" Effie prods, bumping her nose on his chin.

Haymitch is quiet for a minute, then says "Rowan, after my brother, Gabriel, after your brother, Chaff, Zachariah, or Alexander."

Effie nods, then says "I think he should be his own person, don't you? Naming him  _after_ someone feels a little like a legacy."

Haymitch nods. "I knew you wouldn't like it, but I still wanted to consider it," he says. "Do you have any picked out?"

"No," she admits. "I wasn't going to think about it until later, but now that you've said it, I like Zachariah and Alexander. They're nice."

Katniss asks "Do you have a backup? In case the doctors got it wrong and the baby's a girl?"

Effie shakes her head. "It's  _definitely_ a boy, we saw it," she says. "There's no way to mistake that. Even if it was slightly obscured, it would have been obvious."

"Are you sure it's Haymitch's?" Katniss asks, making Effie burst out laughing.

"If it was a girl, I'd have suggested Lily, Melody, Abigail, or Elle," Haymitch says, stung and trying to steer the conversation back on topic. "And after that comment, kid, I'm never letting you near this baby."

"And I'm quite sure it's Haymitch's," Effie pipes in. "First, he's the only man I've been with since the Seventy Third Games. Second, from the sonograph pictures his mother had of him, our son looks a lot like him, in every sense."

"Damn, poor baby," Katniss scoffs, smirking at Haymitch.

"Hey!" Haymitch protests. "You weren't saying that when you watched my tape."

"And that's my squish you're calling ugly," Effie huffs. "Ignore her mean comments, darling, you're  _gorgeous._ "

"It's fine, she's just jealous," Haymitch chuckles. "She can't satisfy her partner like I can."

"That's because Peeta's with a woman," Katniss says. "I'd be worried if I could do to him what you do to... I'm not even finishing that sentence, I already have nightmares."

Peeta comes back in, carrying Willow in a carrier strapped onto his chest. "Are we ready to go?" he asks.

Everyone nods, and Haymitch grabs their coats, holding Effie's up for her to put on. "Look at you, being a gentleman," Effie coos as she slides her arms into her coat sleeves.

"I just don't want you freezing to death," he says. 

"It's not that cold," Peeta says, sliding on his jacket.

Haymitch chuckles. "It is for her," he says, sliding on his own jacket. "Little Miss Ice Block."

* * *

At the fair, Effie asks "Squishy, may I have five dollars?"

Haymitch chuckles and hands her five dollars. "You don't have to be so polite, it's your money too," he says, kissing her forehead.

"I'm polite, it's what I do best," she says, then kisses his lips. "Stay there."

She runs to the same stand that Haymitch got her a sugar pop from during the Freedom Month fair, and buys him a sugar pop, exactly the same size as hers had been, and runs back to him. "You're not going to eat that, are you?" Katniss asks warily.

"No, Haymitch is," Effie says, grinning. "Go on, darling, it's yours."

Unable to resist her eager grin and sparkly blue eyes, Haymitch reluctantly takes the sugar pop. He hugs Effie close, and she studies him carefully. She watches as his eyes widen and his pupils dilate, and he starts to get more hyperactive. Her own eyes widen as he finishes the sugar pop, and realisation hits her. "Hey, sweetheart, what do you say I go over there and try to win a bear for you?" Haymitch asks, hugging her tightly, and she can feel his body vibrating.

"Um, actually, honey, I think you need to sit down and have some water," she says nervously.

"What's wrong?" Peeta asks.

"I think I've figured out what was wrong at the Freedom Month fair," Effie says quietly. "It wasn't sugar... Here, take some money, and go get Haymitch some water, please."

"Effie, have I ever told you that you're  _gorgeous_?" Haymitch asks, tugging on her hand. "So, so beautiful. Come here, tiny stuff, I want to kiss you."

She sits beside him and lets him kiss her, then asks "Honey, how do you feel?"

"WIth my hands," he chuckles, and shows her his hand. "See? I bet you I can feel your-"

"You're feeling  _nothing_ of mine in public," she giggles, grabbing his wrist before he can try.

"That's a shame," he chuckles. "You're so pretty..."

"How are you feeling? Sick, dizzy, tired?" she asks worriedly. "Clammy?"

"Good," he says. "And kind of warm. Will you give me a hug? You're the perfect size for hugging."

She smiles fondly and hugs him tightly. "I love you," she whispers. "I really, really love you."

"I love you too. Little, pretty thing," he says, petting her. "I like it when you wear black, you look so pretty."

"Haymitch?" a voice asks, with an accent to resemble Effie's. "Effie?"

Effie looks up at the speaker, and her eyes widen. "Oh, my word," she breathes, white as a sheet. 

"Princess, you see Cinna too, right?" Haymitch asks, squeezing her gently.

"I do," she murmurs, then stands up to hug him. "Are you really here, or is his hallucinatory state rubbing off on me?"

"I'm really here," Cinna says, hugging her close. "How are you, Effie?"

"I'm good. Better than ever," she says, squeezing him gently. "I can't believe it... Plutarch told me you were dead. I saw your body dragged past me. How?"

"Capitol rebels," Cinna says. "They drugged me to make it look like my heart had stopped. Easier said than done, but that's how I got out."

"Genius," she whispers. "Why have you stayed off the radar? The war's been over for nearly three years."

"Portia," he says simply. 

WIthout having to ask, Effie hugs him harder. "I'm sorry, Cinna. I wish I could have saved her," she whispers.

"She wouldn't have let you," Cinna says gently. "Besides, I found someone who meant just as much to me as Portia did."

"You did? Who?" she asks.

"She's with a friend of mine," Cinna tells her. "I didn't want to overwhelm her here."

"What's her name?" Haymitch asks, standing up. Effie frees herself from Cinna to hold Haymitch's hand. "Let me go, beautiful, I can stand."

"Her name is Ebony," Cinna says, and Effie squeaks. "I take it Portia told you?"

"She never said where... She told me only you and she knew, I didn't think she was still alive! Oh, congratulations on finding her again!" Effie squeals.

Cinna grins, and Haymitch squeezes Effie's hand. "Let me in on this?" he asks.

"You remember that Cinna and Portia had a...  _Thing_ , right?" Effie asks, grinning from ear to ear.

"One that Portia told you every detail about?" Haymitch asks.

"The very same," Effie giggles. 

"Ebony's our daughter," Cinna says quietly. "She was born during the Quell reaping. Only Portia, Effie, and myself knew she exists."

Haymitch grins at him. "Well, great! Maybe your Ebony will like playing with Willow or Zach," he says, chuckling.

"Effie, you didn't drug him, did you?" Cinna asks, eyeing Haymitch.

"Not intentionally," Effie says. "It's a long story, I'll fill you in later."

"Who are Willow and Zach?" Cinna asks.

"Well, you'll meet Willow soon," Effie says, smiling. "She's a beautiful little girl."

"Whose is she? Don't tell me she's yours," Cinna says, grinning.

"No, she's not, she's Katniss's and Peeta's little one," Effie says, beaming. "You'll adore her."

"I don't doubt that," Cinna chuckles. "So our little firecracker has a baby?"

"Not without a lot of complaining," Haymitch adds. "She complained the whole time she was carrying."

Effie rolls her eyes fondly. "Just wait, that baby is gorgeous," she says, then leans her head on Haymitch's shoulder. "Are you still feeling okay, darling?"

"I think I want to marry you," Haymitch says absent-mindedly.

"We're already married," Effie reminds him gently. "I think that candy messed with him."

Cinna nods, then asks "So how many children does Katniss have?"

"Just the one," Effie says, trying to get Haymitch to look at her.

"So who does Zach belong to?" Cinna asks.

"Well, his name isn't  _set_ on that, and it's short for Zachariah," Effie says, her hand unconsciously fluttering to her stomach. "He's not due for a little way over five months yet."

Cinna smiles at her, clearly pleased by this news. "That's amazing news, Effie, congratulations," he says, and he's clearly unable to stop smiling.

She beams, and just as she does, Katniss and Peeta approach, snapping at each other. "Oh, no, what's going on?" she asks softly, and Cinna turns to see what she means.

"Here's the drink," Katniss huffs, shoving it into Effie's hands. 

"Thank you," she says, confused. "What's going on?"

"Katniss thinks you knew about the drugs laced through that sugar pop," Peeta tells her coldly. 

"I didn't  _know_ ," Effie says. "I thought it had something in it that sent me around the twist, but I know Haymitch can handle just fine. That's what it is... I wouldn't drug him intentionally."

"Isn't she pretty?" Haymitch asks, completely oblivious to the anger in front of him. "I think I should keep this. It's soft and gives good hugs."

"Yeah, he's stoned," Katniss says coldly. "What were you thinking, Effie? You knew it messed with you, why would you give it to him?"

"I thought it was a colourant in it that sent me into a state of hyperactivity," she says. "Haymitch doesn't get that, so I thought I'd see if it was just that."

"Well, it's not," Katniss grumbles. "And now he's high."

Cinna smiles a little, then asks "So, Katniss, want to fill me in on your life?"

Katniss jumps and grabs Peeta. "Peeta, you see the dead guy too, right?" she asks quietly.

"I see him too," Peeta murmurs back.

Willow grins and reaches out for Cinna, making soft cooing sounds. "And you must be Willow," Cinna says, reaching out to touch her hand. "Effie really undersold how beautiful you are, little one."

"What... I was told you were dead!" Katniss bellows, glaring at him. "Three years and not a word?! The hell, Cinna?!"

Cinna looks down, and says "I needed time to recuperate, Katniss, and to grieve. I wish I'd got in contact with you all sooner."

"So do I," she grumbles, but hugs him anyway. "I'm glad to see you, though. Don't you dare disappear again."

"I won't," he promises, hugging her back. "I've missed you, firecracker."

After a second, she pulls away and lets Peeta hug the former stylist. Peeta says "It's good to see you here. How have you been? Things can't have been easy."

"No, definitely not easy," Cinna tells him. "Nothing ever was. I'm glad that you two have got married for real. I wasn't sure it'd ever happen."

"Neither were we," Katniss says. "Anyway, I guess you'll want to meet Willow properly."

"It'd be nice," Cinna chuckles, and Katniss takes Willow out of her carrier to place her in Cinna's arms. "She looks a lot like you, Katniss. Except those eyes. They're Peeta's."

"I know," Katniss says, smirking a bit. 

"So which surname did you end up taking?" Cinna asks.

"Mellark," Katniss replies. "It sounded better with her name. Willow Acacia Primrose Everdeen just reminded me too much of Prim."

"Acacia?" Cinna asks quietly, a faint tone of recognition in his voice.

"Peeta chose it," Katniss says. "He never explained why, he just said it was someone we love a lot."

"We never did get an explanation," Effie pipes in as Haymitch tries to wander off. "No, no, honey, stay with Squishy. Want some cherry soda?"

"Acacia was Portia's middle name," Cinna says, his eyes locking with Peeta's. "She didn't even tell Effie that. How did you find out?"

"She told me before the Quell," he says. "We were talking about our childhoods, and she told me then."

"Well, that's lovely," Effie says, trying to get Haymitch to take a drink. "Honey, come on! Just one sip at the very least!"

"No, I want to drink something else," Haymitch huffs, and Effie self-consciously pulls her coat closed. "No, don't, it's a nice view of a nice drink."

"Not a chance in hell," Effie tells him firmly. "You're  _not_ getting that. Drink the soda."

"But-" he starts, and she puts the straw in his mouth. "Effie!"

"Drink," she orders. He obeys her, and quickly snatches the bottle so that he can drink it on his own. "Thank the heavens. Now sit down."

He does as she tells him, and she smiles. A minute later, he asks "Princess, can we go on the wheel to make out?"

"Haymitch!" she gasps. "We've got company!"

"That's why I suggested going on the ride. We can make out in private then," he says, grinning at her.

"Hang on a minute," she sighs.

"Go!" Katniss and Peeta yelp.

"Cinna, do you have somewhere to stay while you're here in Twelve?" Effie asks.

"Yes, Ebony and I have a hotel room. Our house won't be ready until Monday," he says.

"You're moving here?" Effie asks, her eyes wide.

"Well, of course. My friends are all here, and the city isn't the same without Portia," he says. "We've already settled it."

Effie hugs him and says "Come by the house with Ebony at any time you like. We can catch up properly."

"Princess, the wheel," Haymitch insists.

Effie sighs "I have to go. Haymitch on a high is a nuisance."

Haymitch drags her off toward the ride, and hugs her tightly. "Pretty girl," he says.

"Let me do the talking," she replies, then takes his wallet. "Two tickets, please," she says, smiling at the woman in the booth. She pays for the tickets and lets Haymitch drag her to the wheel.

**(!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!)**

"You're cute," he tells her, and lets her get them on the ride. Once they're in their pod and the ride starts to move, he slides closer to her and kisses her lips. "My beautiful thing."

She smiles and kisses him back, then guides his hand to her stomach before pressing her lips to his. "You're a sweetie," she whispers. "Now, we're not going to be on here forever, I suggest you hurry up."

He kisses her again, pulling her close, and starts to move his hand up her front. "You're not tender, right?" he asks softly.

"A little," she whispers. "Not enough for it to hurt."

He smirks and slides his hand up her front, kissing her harder. She smiles and presses her body to his. Her mouth drops open when he squeezes her breast, and he takes full advantage of it, deepening the kiss. Her hands roam over his body while their mouths work in time together. The ride stops suddenly, and they break apart for a second to check what's going on. "What's happening?" Haymitch asks.

"We're not quite at the top," she whispers, still pressed against him.

"Riders of the Ferris wheel, stay calm. The ride has stalled. We're working to fix it. We only ask that you do not panic," the tannoy says, and Effie sighs.

"That means we could be up here a while," Haymitch says, gently rubbing her breast. "What do you say?"

She rolls her eyes. "We might as well," she murmurs, kissing him again. "But remember, gentle. I don't want to hurt the little one by accident."

He chuckles and presses a kiss on her jaw. "That's my girl," he murmurs, then pulls her onto his lap with his free hand, sliding her skirt up, then he pushes her coat aside and tugs the V of her dress aside, lowering his mouth to her chest. "We'd better work fast, yeah?"

"Absolutely," she purrs, unfastening his jeans and pushing his boxers down at the front as his mouth attacks her chest. "Ooh, that's nice..."

She rubs him gently with one hand, her other hand tangled in his hair. He grins and murmurs "You got ready for  _that_ fast."

"Enjoy having me not being huge while you can," she murmurs, sighing at how hard he feels in her hand. "This is how quick I'll be until after the birth."

She sinks down on him with a quiet moan, her nails scraping his scalp. "I love that you don't wear a bra now," he murmurs, his words muffled by her skin. She whimpers softly, starting to move slowly on him. "Makes sucking on you so much easier."

"I'll never wear clothes again if it makes this easier," she gasps, slowly moving on him. 

He licks her gently and whispers "Speed up a bit, beautiful."

"Bite me first," she whispers back. 

He smirks and bites down on her nipple, holding the pressure. She yelps and speeds up for him, and he flicks his tongue against the hard little bud between his teeth. She squeaks and bounces harder and faster, making his hips jerk up involuntarily. He starts to move in time with her, keeping his mouth right where it is, enjoying her squeaks and moans. "That's it, gorgeous," he murmurs, running his hands all over her body. "So damn beautiful..."

She lets out a scream that echoes across the field as she cums, and he chuckles softly, letting go of her nipple to watch her bounce and squirm while he cums, gripping her hips hard. She whimpers, tugging on his hair, and whispers "You feel so good..."

"So do you," he murmurs, then lifts her off him. She pulls her skirt back down, and he asks "Did you wear panties?"

"No," she murmurs. "I never do when I know we're going back home. It's good for sneaky sex."

"Nothing sneaky about that scream," he chuckles, pulling his boxers back up and zipping up his jeans, then he rebuttons them. "So... Same again when we get home?"

"When we get home, I'm using my mouth on you," she whispers. "And then  _maybe_ , if you're ready for it again when we go to bed."

"I'm pretty sure I should remarry you," he says softly. "I need to make sure it's real."

"It is," she murmurs. "It's definitely real."

**(^_^) (^_^) (^_^) (^_^) (^_^) (^_^)**

* * *

Once off the wheel, they get heaps of stares and glares, and Katniss and Peeta are humiliated. Cinna's laughing, Haymitch is grinning, and Effie's bright red. "So, you're alive," Cinna splutters. "After that scream, I wasn't sure."

"Oh, stop it," Effie whines, burying her face in Haymitch's chest.

"You don't look too embarrassed," Peeta says, looking at Haymitch, slightly green.

"Have you seen this woman? No man would be embarrassed if she'd just had her way with him," he says proudly. "And you, beautiful, should be proud of yourself. You did something you'd never normally do."

"I have my way with you nightly, Haymitch," she whispers. 

"I meant have sex in public," he says. "They could have restarted that wheel halfway through, and you would have been exposed to everyone."

"Dirty man," she huffs. "Anyway, let's do something else. Maybe coconuts? Or hook a duck? Ooh, we could play whack a mole!"

"We'll play whack a mole, I think you've got some anger to work out," he chuckles. "And whatever was in that sugar thing is wearing off now."

"I should hope so," she says. "That's why we ended up having sex on the wheel in the first place."

"No, that's why I wanted to go on the wheel. I'd have had sex with you in an alleyway if I'd been sober," he says, kissing her head.

"Oh, gross," Katniss whimpers. "Can you not?"

"All I can say is, be grateful I didn't pin her to the ground. You'd have seen what real fun looks like then," Haymitch says, squeezing Effie.

"I would have fought you," Effie says. "I refuse to have sex in the grass."

"Okay, enough!" Peeta yelps. "Willow's here, and none of us like this! Enough. Keep it in your bedroom."

"We definitely don't stick to the bedroom, kid, but fine," Haymitch says, then kisses Effie's nose. "Want some chocolate fudge, Eff?"

"Yes, please," she whispers, hiding her face on his chest. "That would be nice. Take me to it."

He nods and walks her to the stand to buy her fudge. She keeps her face pressed to his chest and questions if her night could get any worse. "Effie!" a Capitol voice trills, sending a wave of paralysing fear down her spine. "Effie!"

She lifts her head to see the two people she most definitely doesn't want to see walking toward her. "Vender, Pudina," she whispers to Haymitch. "Kill me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bet you weren't expecting to see Cinna here! Now, I know he was presumed dead, but the key word there is _presumed _. Nothing explicitly states that Cinna actually died. He was beaten, yes. He was dragged away, yes. But I don't think Plutarch's word for it was trustworthy, and this universe is actually based more on the books than the films.__
> 
> I did have a big debate with myself whether or not I should bring Cinna into this, because it wouldn't make sense that he didn't get taken and murdered, but equally, with him being a huge part of the rebellion, I can see some of the rebel spies in the Capitol rescuing him. If you want more on my theory there, let me know, I'll write it out, and you can be the judges.
> 
> Wish our Hayffie luck, they're going to need it, haha.
> 
> Anyway, as always, if you have any ideas, theories, or constructive criticisms, please leave them in a comment below.
> 
> Much love and happiness to you all. Until next time. Cat xxx


	28. The Truth, and the Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haymitch finally tells Vender and Pudina what he and Effie really think, and they inform Haymitch and Effie exactly what was in that candy, leading Effie to anger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone, and welcome back. I hope you're ready for this, it's kind of a lot. Sorry if the title sucks, I seriously had trouble summing this up. 
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games, its characters, or its world. All rights go to Suzanne Collins, and I am not Suzanne. I just like playing around with her characters.

"Effie, darling!" Pudina squeals, hugging her tightly before stepping back to get a good look at her. "Oh, sweetie, you're positively  _glowing_. I mean, that scream you produced at the top of the wheel, you lucky little thing, it's no wonder, but... Dear, if I'm not wrong this time, I'd say you're expecting!"

"You're wrong in a lot of ways," Haymitch mutters under his breath.

"No, you're not wrong about it this time," Effie says, shiftng uncomfortably under Pudina's grip.

"You don't have to be ashamed, Effie," Vender says warmly. "Pregnancy is a beautiful thing."

"You'd know, you look like you're living it," Haymitch mumbles.

Effie bites her tongue and Vender asks "What was that?"

"Nothing," Effie jumps in, breaking out of Pudina's grip to snuggle back up to Haymitch. "Listen, um, I'm kind of tired, and I really would love to chat, but I think I need a nap."

Pudina laughs airily and says "Oh, that was the hardest thing about starting the second trimester. The constant naps! It really dulled the sex life."

Haymitch screws his eyes shut and Effie swallows hard, trying not to gag. "Okay," she whispers. She clears her throat and says "We really should be heading home. I'm really, really tired."

"I understand," Pudina says gently. "You must get in touch, dear, we have so much to talk about! Ooh, do you know what you're having yet?"

"Not her brother's kid," Haymitch mutters.

"A boy," Effie says, grimacing and hoping it looks like a smile. "Do you know?"

"It's a girl," Vender says happily. "We've already decided on her name, too."

"Oh?" Effie asks softly, desperately praying they stop talking and just let her and Haymitch go. "What have you chosen?"

"We're naming her after the two most special girls alive," Vender tells her, beaming with pride. "Her name is Euphemia Pudding Earthbush."

"Oh, that's just disturbing," Haymitch says, loudly enough for them to hear.

"How?" Pudina asks, looking hurt and confused. "Euphemia is for the world's sweetest godmother, after all."

"No, you're naming your little ball of incest after your brother's ex," Haymitch tells her. "It's weird, and she doesn't even want to be your kid's godmother anyway. She cringes at the very thought of you two and your weird thing here. She gags every time you two are brought up, and deliberately walks away whenever we catch sight of you overweight rainbows in public. Neither of us want you in our lives, and the only reason she ever kept talking to you and agreed to be the kid's godmother is because she's too sweet and kind to upset you. She's a sweetheart, and she can't hurt anyone to save her life. Luckily for her, I'm not that nice, and I'm just as weirded out by you two as she is. You can take your weird as all hell stuff far away from us and our kids, because we're not your friends, and we never will be."

"Effie, is all this true? Did you really just say yes because you're nice?" Pudina asks, clearly close to tears. 

"Well done, Haymitch," Effie mutters, burying her face in his neck for a minute before she turns to the couple. "Listen, I'm sorry, but yes. It's all true, although I would have been gentler about it. I'm so sorry for the way he broke that to you. You're lovely people, and you'll have no trouble making friends, but we're very old-fashioned people, and while I understand your bond, I'm not at ease with it. I have tried, and Haymitch has tried, but it's just uncomfortable."

"You see? She's too soft to be blunt," Haymitch says.

"She's a gentle soul, she doesn't need to lose it," Vender murmurs, clearly hurt. "But naturally, if something makes you uncomfortable, you shouldn't hesitate to tell us. This is why you and I didn't work out, dear. You still don't stand up for yourself to avoid hurting people. You need a healthy balance. We're always around if ever you need us."

"And please don't hesitate," Pudina adds. "We know our relationship is unconventional, and that we're a little pushy with you, but honestly, if you need us, let us know. We'll try not to be too eager again."

"Thank you both," Effie says softly. "I am sorry for his harsh way of putting it, he had a candy pop from one of the stalls near the entrance."

"Oh, no," Pudina gasps. "Not the one run by the man from Two?"

"Yes," Effie says, confused. "What's in those candies?"

"It's a recreational drug," Vender says. "It's not dangerous, but it induces effects that cause severe hallucinations and sometimes, it can make the taker... Shall we say,  _eager_ to do the horizontal tango."

"Oh," Effie says softly. "Haymitch, what did you experience?"

"I just saw a sparklier you," he says. "I also really wanted your milk, but that wasn't happening for me."

Effie blushes scarlet while Vender and Pudina laugh. "Great," she murmurs. "I'm never giving you those candies again. Um, do either of you know if that stall is legal? Or if the drug itself is legal?"

"No, and no," Pudina says. "I didn't think he was still in business, honestly. I thought he was arrested."

"He was," Vender replies.

"I'm going to go and get him arrested again," Effie growls. "I had one of those pops of his during the Freedom Month festival, and the resulting embarrassment still hasn't gone away."

Haymitch grins at her. "That's my girl. All fired up and ready to kill. Go get him, you murderous little munchkin," he says, petting her.

"Call me a munchkin again, and he won't be the only one dying tonight," Effie growls, but she kisses him anyway before she starts stomping off in the direction of his stall.

"She's going to get herself killed, isn't she?" Haymitch asks flatly. Vender and Pudina nod, worry all over their faces, and Haymitch bolts after Effie. He grabs her just before she reaches the stall and hisses "Uh, Bug, maybe you shouldn't attack him. He might hurt you and the baby."

"What do you think I am, stupid?" she asks. "I'm going to go to the stall next to his, call the Peacemakers, and have  _them_ deal with him."

"Couldn't you have done that with Paintbrush and Crayons?" he asks, hugging her. 

"No, I wanted to get away from them," she says. "I still can't feel comfortable with them."

He smirks and watches her call for law enforcement, and kisses her head, cuddling her while she reports the man selling the drug-filled candy. Once she's hung up, she leads Haymitch over to the other end of the park, where she finds Katniss and Cinna talking, and Peeta's changing Willow's sweater. "What happened?" Haymitch asks, eyeing Peeta and Willow.

"She's got a bit of stomach upset," Peeta says grimly. "She vomited all over herself."

"Shouldn't you take her to a doctor?" Effie asks nervously. "If she's sick, she might need medicine."

"We checked," Katniss says. "This morning, we called a doctor, and the doctor just said it's normal for babies that have just started to teethe to have an upset stomach, so we're not to stress too much, just to keep an eye on her and make sure she's keeping some stuff down."

Cinna smiles a little and says "There's honestly nothing to worry about, Katniss. Ebony had similar issues when she started to teethe."

"And how did you handle it?" Katniss asks.

"Not that well," Cinna chuckles. "Portia and I had many sleepless nights until the sickness stopped."

"How old is Ebony?" Haymitch asks.

"She'll be four this October," Cinna tells him. "She's been begging for a party."

"Princess party?" Effie guesses, grinning.

"Halloween," Cinna chuckles. "She's nothing like her mother in that sense. She reminds me more of her godmother."

Effie grins and says "I didn't think she'd remember that."

"Hey, who could forget you?" Haymitch asks, squeezing her gently. "Your last Halloween party was mind-blowing."

"The last one I threw, you threw your drink at me," she chuckles. "Something about hating my corpse look."

A yell echoes across the field, and Katniss asks "Who's that they're arresting?"

Haymitch turns and rolls his eyes. "That guy selling candy drugs," he says. "Turns out, what that guy sold us is illegal. And since people like us buy them, and sometimes for their kids, Effie reported it."

Effie nods slightly. Cinna shrugs. "I remember the controversy over that. Synzious, I think. Apparently, it's addictive, and the symptoms can go from loopiness to heightened libido to heart failure. Disgusting, and the side effects of long-term use can make you blind, give you severe memory loss, make your muscles so weak that you may as well be paralysed, destroys your bone marrow, and it can make your throat swell shut and suffocate you. One use won't do much more than make you loopy or make your libido soar, but it's not great," he says. "I think our friend Millet got addicted to it."

"Millet  _Mimo_?!" Effie gasps. "Millet  _never likes drugs, would never touch a drug_ Mimo?!"

"That's the one," Cinna says grimly. "Apparently, one use was enough. Since the last time we spoke, things had gone  _really_ downhill. Think lost everything, alone in the park kind of downhill."

"Well, damn," Haymitch says.

"My sentiments exactly," Effie whispers, horrified. "What symptoms did Millet get?"

"Blindness, amnesia, and crazy," Cinna tells her. "Absolutely off the rails. Trying to chat up a tree."

"That is appalling," Peeta says firmly. "No wonder it's illegal."

"Exactly," Cinna says. "Anyway, are you four doing anything this Halloween?"

Peeta says "We weren't planning on anything, except maybe sitting in the living room with cake."

Effie smiles. "I was thinking of a little party, maybe," she says, smiling. "Nothing big, just a little gathering, maybe a bonfire, some candy, a bit of themed music. And naturally, you and Ebony are invited."

"Were you planning to tell me about this?" Haymitch asks, kissing her head.

"Yes, nearer time," she says smugly. "But since you're here, we're having a Halloween party, and there  _might_ be a little treat at the end of it all for you."

"That's fine," he chuckles. "So, party at ours on Halloween... Guess that means you'll want a costume?"

"Absolutely," she says. "Matching ones for you and me."

"Oh, joy," he groans. "As long as you're the one in a dress this year, I'm fine with it."

"She put you in a dress?" Katniss asks, barely holding back her amusement.

"We don't talk about it," Haymitch tells her firmly.

"I have pictures," Effie giggles. "He looks hot in a dress. He definitely has the legs for it."

"Shut it," Haymitch chuckles, covering her mouth with his palm. "She's joking, we don't have pictures."

"Mess my moo!" she squeaks from behind his hand. "Mots muth mem!"

Cinna chuckles and says "I'd better get back and make sure Ebony gets to bed. I'll pass along the invitation and see if she says yes."

"Met me mow!" Effie squeaks, trying to tug Haymitch's hand off her face.

"Let her go," Peeta chuckles.

Haymitch lets go, and Effie gasps, then smiles at Cinna. "Let me know what she says, won't you?" she asks eagerly.

"As soon as I have an answer, I will," he tells her, before he heads off.

* * *

That night, Haymitch and Effie are resting on the sofa, and he asks "So, sweetheart, what evil plans do you have thought up for us?"

"Tonight, hot chocolate, marshmallows, and chocolates. For Halloween, I'm letting you pick our theme. Nothing involving nudity, though, I'm not going to be as slim as I was last year, and I don't want our little one to freeze," she says, pressing her cheek to his chest.

"Fine with me," he says. "I'm the only one allowed to see you naked anyway."

"That's how it's meant to be. Now, I'll go make us hot chocolate and bring in that big box of chocolates. You pick out a film for us to watch. I think you might get some more sex tonight," she whispers, kissing his cheek.

"That sounds promising," he chuckles, then pets her. "Go on, then. Go be cute."

She squeaks excitedly and bolts off, leaving Haymitch to grin at her. "How did I snag you?" he asks the empty room, smiling fondly.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed that. I kind of felt bad for Vender and Pudina here, not going to lie. 
> 
> As always, please leave your thoughts, constructive criticisms, and ideas down below in that little comment box, I always love to see what you have to say.
> 
> Much love and happiness to you all. Hope you have a great week, and I'll see you on the twenty ninth. Cat xxx


	29. Ebony

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haymitch, Katniss, Peeta, and Willow get to meet Ebony, and there's no denying whose child she is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone. I hope you're ready for this. I certainly wasn't ready while writing it. However, it was fun to write. Enjoy.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games, its characters, or its world. All rights go to Suzanne Collins, and I am not Suzanne. I just like playing around with her characters.

"So, tell me again why we're inviting people over," Haymitch sighs, eyeing Effie as she bends over, then he reaches out and squeezes her bottom. "We could make the most of a peaceful day."

"No, and stop groping me. I want to see Cinna and Ebony properly, and I haven't seen Ebony since she was a baby. She's my goddaughter, I feel awful for not having any contact with her in the time that she can remember," she says. "Besides, they're our friends, and you like hanging out with Cinna, you said so yourself."

"Yeah, I do like hanging out with him, but I like having sex with you more," he says. "We only just saw him last week at the fair."

"And you had sex with me last night," she counters. "And if you play your cards right, you'll get sex again tonight."

"I hate it when you use sex as a bribe," he says, then gets up and pulls her to him. "You're not obligated to do that, though. You keep saying that your back hurts, I don't think being on all fours does it any good."

"I'm going to pretend I didn't just hear that," Katniss groans. "I brought you some cakes, Peeta's just made them."

"Oh, thank you," Effie coos. "I do love those little cakes he makes."

"Not so keen on them as a bra," Haymitch mutters slyly, knowing perfectly well that it'll have the double effect of embarrassing Effie and disgusting Katniss. "Makes for a very sticky and delicious situation."

"Honestly, get your mind out of the gutter!" Effie shrieks. "Do you  _have_ to traumatise our kids further?! I hope you don't plan to teach our son to be so vulgar!"

"Nah, it's hereditary," he says, but it lacks the usual laughter. Katniss doesn't notice the slight change in his voice, but Effie's head turns so fast that her neck clicks. He doesn't comment, just kisses her forehead and asks "I'm going to make a drink, do either of you want one?"

"No, thanks, I've got to get back, Peeta's due back at the bakery, and  _someone_ has to watch the girl-Peeta," Katniss chuckles.

"Suit yourself," Haymitch says, then looks at Effie. "Effie? Drink?"

"Yes, please," she says, watching him fearfully. Katniss shrugs it off and leaves them to it, prompting Effie to bolt after Haymitch. She stands next to him and asks "Sweetest, did I upset you?"

"No," he says shortly, slamming the sugar pot down. 

"Are you sure? I'm sorry if I have, it wasn't meant to upset you," she murmurs, stepping closer to him. "Be honest, darling, I need to know."

He closes his eyes, grits his teeth, and slowly says "Every time I try to wind the kids up, you scream at me like a banshee with piles. Sure, I get that it embarrasses you, I just like seeing you blush, but the screaming irks me and it just makes me want to annoy you properly so that the screaming's justified. It's not like I'm deaf, you could just talk to me."

She nods a little and murmurs "Okay. No more screaming, unless it's the kind you like. I'm sorry. I should know by now."

"Thanks," he mutters, making drinks a little less violently now. "What drink are you having?"

"Tea, please," she whispers, and swallows hard. "Do you want a hug?"

The look he gives the teabags gives her all the answer she needs. "Not while I'm handling boiling water," he replies in a controlled tone, as if he's trying not to hurt her too much.

"Okay," she whispers., picking up some small plates from the cupboard. "I'll go and put the cakes on plates. If we have any dark chocolate chunk ones, I'll put them aside for you."

"You don't have to," he says gruffly.

"I know, but I know you love them," she replies softly, and pads quietly out of the room. plates clattering in her shaky hands. She arranges the cakes neatly, placing the dark chocolate chunk ones aside for Haymitch, then she carries his cakes in to him. "Here, sweetie."

"Effie, I told you that you don't have to do that," he sighs, but he pets her hair anyway, proving that he's not terribly angry. "But thanks."

She nods, and steps aside to give him a little more space. "Can we put this dispute aside while Cinna and Ebony are here?" she asks quietly. "Just pretend? I don't want him thinking that the day at the fair was the only time we've been happy."

"Sure," he mutters. 

"Thank you," she whispers, holding back the urge to hug him and never let go. "I appreciate it."

He doesn't look at her once, and before the tension in the room can get more awkward, there's a loud knock on the door. "I'll go," he says, giving her a mug, and leaving the room to get the door. 

She stands still, allowing a few tears to drip down her cheeks before she wipes them away and whispers "Get it together, Effie, you've got company and a role to play."

"Daddy, I thought we seeing Fifi," a little girl's voice floats through from the hall. "Where Fifi?"

"She's probably in the kitchen," Cinna says. 

"Bang on," Haymitch chuckles, as if nothing's wrong. "Want a drink?"

"I'll have a coffee if you have any, please," Cinna says cheerfully. "What about you, Ebony? What would you like?"

"Tequila," Ebony giggles.

"You're definitely your mother's," Cinna chuckles. "Seriously, what do you want?"

"Orange," Ebony replies, still giggling.

"So coffee, and orange juice," Haymitch says. "I'll go get the Princess."

He walks back into the kitchen and stops at the sight of Effie trying her best to get herself together. "I'll go in there in a minute," she murmurs, trying to keep her voice level. 

She grabs a glass and a mug, and starts making the drinks. Haymitch sighs and wraps his arms around her waist, only to be shoved away. "Effie, come on," he sighs.

"No," she whispers. "With them, yes. Alone, no. I'm not pretending in private, and I don't want to be held if you're not happy with me."

He rolls his eyes, and hugs her properly. "I'm not mad at you," he murmurs. "You know now, and hopefully, we can agree that I don't wind the kids up if you don't scream at me before you talk."

"We can agree on that," she whispers, still fighting the hugs. "But I mean it. You said you don't want a hug."

"While I was making the drinks," he counters. "I'm not willing to risk hurting you. Don't twist my words to fit you. If you're not in the mood for hugs,  _say that._ "

She whispers "Just let go of me. If we were alone, I'd accept this and cry, but I don't want them to see me crying. This is meant to be a happy day."

He obediently lets go of her, and kisses her head instead, then murmurs "Let's call it off. The whole... Whatever this feud we have going is."

"Fine with me," she whispers. "I still might cry, so please don't cuddle me yet."

"Okay," he whispers back, and helps her with the drinks. He leads her to the living room, and they spot Cinna on the sofa, watching Ebony eye up the cakes, knelt in front of them with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Are you after a cake, Ebony?"

"She's been eyeing them since we sat down," Cinna chuckles.

"Cake's good," Ebony says casually.

"Have one, darling," Effie tells her, a warm smile on her face.

"Fifi!" Ebony screams, forgetting the cakes to hug her godmother around the waist. "Hi!"

"Hello, beautiful girl," Effie laughs, kneeling down to hug the small child properly. "Oh, look at you, such a pretty girl!"

Ebony flips her wild mane of curls, and says "Mommy and Daddy did this, all I did was make it work."

The three adults in the room burst out laughing, and Effie kisses Ebony's forehead. "You are so, so much like your mother," Effie sighs, a twist of sadness filling her at the memory of Portia. "One day, you'll inherit her taste in romantic partners."

"Panem forbid that girl ever inherits that," Cinna scoffs. "I'm not having my daughter go for  _anyone_ , regardless of what they are."

"No being so sure, Daddy," Ebony giggles. "I might find somebody."

Haymitch gapes at the little girl. "That's not your daughter, that's a shrunken Portia!" he hisses to Cinna. "What the hell?"

"So, Fifi, Daddy says you're having a small bean," Ebony says mischievously. "Is that true?"

"Yes, sweet one, it is," Effie says, smiling a little sadly. 

Ebony grins and says "Teach it to like tequila, I want to teach it to do shots when I'm a grown up."

"Do you let her drink?" Haymitch asks.

"Nope, that's all Portia's behaviour," Cinna says, grinning. "That child's never once tasted tequila."

 Effie gives Ebony the glass of juice and says "Go sit down, darling girl. Katniss, Peeta, and Willow will be here soon."

"Who's Willow?" Ebony asks. 

Cinna strokes his daughter's hair and says "You remember the magical girl and boy on the chariots? Willow is their baby girl."

"Katty and Peety have a baby?" Ebony asks, her eyes like saucers. "And you didn't tell me that Willow's their baby? I thought Willow was a grown up like you!"

Haymitch grins at her and says "Trust me, kid, we're all just older kids really. We don't grow up."

Ebony giggles, and Katniss strolls in, Willow screaming at the top of her lungs. "Effie, please take the demon baby, she's like me when she's tired, and she's not capable of the sarcasm yet," Katniss whines, holding Willow at arm's length.

Effie takes Willow and coos "Hey, hey, what's the matter with my squishy baby girl? Why so screamy? What's making my Willow bunny scream so?"

Willow just shuts up and smiles innocently at Effie, cooing back at her. "You work miracles," Katniss sighs, clearly relieved from the screaming.

"She used to do that to Ebony," Cinna says, smiling a bit. "No matter what, she'd manage to shut her up."

"Not any more!" Ebony giggles. "I'll never shut up now."

Katniss asks "Did someone reanimate and shrink Portia?"

"I know, right?" Haymitch mutters. "Nah, that's Ebony."

"Hi, Katty," Ebony squeaks. 

"Katty?" Katniss asks, glancing at Cinna.

"She couldn't say your name when you were on television," Cinna says. "Portia told her to call you Katty."

"It fits," Haymitch chuckles. 

Effie lets out a small, amused squeak, then says "Don't be mean, she's not  _that_ bad."'

Ebony asks "Can I look at Willow, Katty?"

"Sure, just be gentle with her," Katniss says, flopping down on the sofa next to Haymitch. He gives her a pointed look and she glares at him. "How's it going, old man?"

Haymitch lifts an eyebrow at her and says "It  _was_ going okay, then you dropped next to me like a bomb."

"Don't be disappointed, I may not be Effie, but I like to think I'm a bit entertaining," Katniss scoffs.

Cinna chuckles, and Ebony loudly whispers "Wow! She's so pretty, Fifi!"

"I know, she's the perfect mixture of her mommy and her daddy," Effie says quietly, gazing at Willow lovingly. "Pretty girl."

Willow wriggles, thriving in the attention. "That's Peeta," Katniss mutters. "Revelling in all the attention, and making sure to keep her audience entertained, all him. I didn't make that part."

Haymitch and Cinna burst out laughing, and Effie smiles at her. "Darling girl, you know that's not entirely true. You can be very social when you decide to be," she chides gently. "Don't make yourself out to be completely antisocial."

"Given her way, she'd be living in a tree, far from humans," Peeta chuckles from the doorway. "The only reason she doesn't is she has family."

Katniss shrugs and mutters "People are weird, and it's illegal to shoot them when they come near me with cameras, recording things, and questions. If it wasn't, I wouldn't mind them so much."

"You'd feel bad for killing them," Peeta points out.

"I wouldn't kill them... Much. I'd just hospitalise them," she says. "They wouldn't bother me then."

"That isn't very nice," Effie pipes in. "What sort of example are you setting for the children?"

"A damn good one, I've not shot them," Katniss grumbles.

Haymitch sighs "Who ticked you off?"

A dark look crosses Katniss's face. "Some sad excuse of a lab experiment gone wrong," she tells him moodily. "Trying to poke her plastic-pumped face into Willow's pushchair, and she even tried to stick a camera in there. I swear, if it wasn't illegal, she'd be dead, the useless bi-"

"Katniss, children," Peeta warns her.

"-Bit of garbage," Katniss finishes grumpily. "What did you think I was going to say?"

Peeta grins at her, and Ebony says "You were going to say-"

"No thank you," Effie gasps. "We're not saying what she was about to say, darling. It's not very nice, and we don't want the babies learning that, do we?"

"Well, Willow's going to learn it anyway with Katty's foul mouth, and your baby will because of Mitch's foul mouth," Ebony says, shrugging.

Effie starts laughing, and Haymitch asks "You're not going to defend me?" She just laughs harder, starting to wheeze a little with the force of her laughter. "Wow, sweetheart, that's so nice."

Her laughter just increases until Ebony starts giggling too, infected by Effie's laughter. Their laughter soon gets to Peeta, who starts to laugh with them. Soon after that, Cinna joins in, and Katniss and Haymitch stare at each other. "What happened to us being miserable and murderous?" Katniss asks.

"Trinket happened," he grumbles. "I swear we married the weirdest creatures this planet has to offer."

"I'd drink to that," Katniss says, closing her eyes and flopping onto the sofa cushions. "How did we end up with those sun rays?"

"I have no idea, kid," Haymitch sighs, flopping down next to her. "Same way they got us storm clouds, I guess. By being really, really weird to them."

A few more minutes of raucous laughter that just doesn't seem to be ending any time soon pass, and Katniss asks "Is it just me, or is Ebony basically Portia with Cinna's grin and chill vibes?"

"Nope, she's exactly that," Haymitch says. 

* * *

A few hours later, Ebony's asleep with cake all over her face, Willow's napping on Peeta's chest, Katniss and Cinna are discussing childrearing, Haymitch is reading an article in one of Effie's magazine out of sheer boredom, and Effie's almost asleep where she's sat. Haymitch puts the magazine down with a roll of his eyes, then pats Effie's ankle gently, waking her up a little. "Eff, if you need a nap, you should go to bed, you'll hurt your neck like that," he tells her softly. 

"I'm not napping," she mumbles. "Just resting my head a little. Making a human is hard, tiring work. He's sapping my energy."

"That really sucks, doesn't it?" Katniss asks, shuddering. "Nothing like pregnancy to make you want your bed."

Effie yawns, stretching. "I just need a comfy place to lie," she murmurs, then shifts up and lies down, her head on Haymitch's lap, and her toes barely reach the end of the sofa. She stretches again, then murmurs "This. This is a comfy place."

Haymitch grins and pets her hair. "Sleep for a bit, beautiful. I'll take you to bed if you're not awake to go in three hours," he tells her.

"That said, I should probably get Ebony back," Cinna says quietly, trying not to disturb the peace. "It's almost her actual bedtime."

"Yeah, we'll have to get Willow home before her next feed," Peeta says, staring at the ceiling. "She'll wake us all up."

"Don't worry about seeing us out," Cinna says. "I'm sure we all know the way, and Effie's clearly well and truly out of it."

Haymitch glances down to find Effie asleep, curled into a ball. "She is," he chuckles. "Guess I'm never moving again."

"Have a nice night," Peeta says, handing Willow to Katniss. 

"Thank you for having us," Cinna says, scooping Ebony up. "And for feeding this one."

"No problem," Haymitch says, petting Effie. "You all get home safe, okay? We'll be checking in tomorrow."

Once everyone's left, Haymitch picks up his book, and starts to read. He reads until his eyes blur from exhaustion, puts his book down, and glances at his wife, still curled up and deeply asleep. He picks her up, and she mumbles "Put me back."

"Time to go to bed, beautiful," he murmurs, kissing her nose. "You sleep on, I'll get you to bed safely."

She snuggles closer and whispers "Your son is kicking my bladder."

"I'll get you through your bedtime routine, you just sleep," he tells her, kissing her head as he carries her to the stairs. This is going to be a long night.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now, where I usually write small children talking like small children, Ebony has been learning from Cinna, especially in the recent months of this story, hence her pretty much perfect speech. From my experience working with children aged between three and four, they're either very clear, or they talk with a limited vocabulary. The latter seems more prevalent, however. 
> 
> I picture Ebony to be as chatty as Portia would be, but with Cinna's easy-going flow, and a fair amount of sass. She has parents who made friends with Haymitch, Peeta, Katniss, and Effie, sass was a given. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and as always, let me know what you think down below in the comments, whether good, bad, or somewhere between. If you have any questions or constructive criticism, please don't hesitate to put that there too. I'm all eyes. 
> 
> Have a nice week, all. Much love and happiness to you all, and I'll see you in the next chapter. Cat xxx


	30. Ebony-sitting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haymitch and Effie take Ebony off Cinna's hands while he talks to Katniss and Peeta, and little Ebony has questions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone, and welcome back. I'd just like to say that the conversation between Peeta, Katniss, and Cinna detailing why Cinna didn't resurface and getting their perspectives out will be uploaded on Friday 15th in the Always A Team outtakes series, as that doesn't really feature Hayffie, and this is Hayffie-oriented (much like us), so I'm giving that its own outtake. 
> 
> That said, I hope you enjoy this. 
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games, its characters, or its world. All rights go to Suzanne Collins, and I am not Suzanne. I just like playing with her characters. I do, however, own the original characters mentioned in these stories.

Haymitch gently pokes Effie's side, smirking a bit. "Effie, it's gone eleven, you should be awake now," he murmurs into her ear.

"You've been pestering me for two hours now. I am no more willing to leave the bed than I was at nine thirty," Effie grumbles sleepily. "I don't know what you think I did last night, but our son was bouncing rather hard on my bladder for such a small being, and I needed to keep getting up. So I am sleeping very late, and you're not allowed to stop me. It's hard growing people, and now I get why my sisters complained so much."

He chuckles and rubs her back gently. "Okay, fine. But Ebony's going to be here in an hour, and you want to be dressed," he murmurs, kissing the back of her neck.

"No I don't," she huffs. "I want to be asleep. Being dressed only matters if you're not asleep, and I'm asleep. Leave me to rest, our son is finally sleeping."

"Make the most of using him to sleep late, he's not going to be in there forever," Haymitch chuckles. 

"I'll just get pregnant again, you can fight me," she mumbles, giggling a bit.

Haymitch can't help laughing at her. "Will you?" he asks, kissing her back. "Who with? I'm not getting you pregnant again until this one's at least two, and you can't put a baby in yourself."

She turns over to face him. "Two years without sex? Mm... And here's me, not sure you can go two  _hours_ ," she mocks, smiling broadly at him.

"Rude, little lady, where are your manners?" he chuckles, leaning down to press a kiss to her lips. "First you want to ignore your goddaughter's imminent arrival for sleep, then you plan to have another baby before our first is out and before consulting me, then you say I have no self-control? What happened to my sweet, innocent, manners-obsessed little squishy?"

"She married you," she whispers, then hugs him tightly. "And you corrupted her. Best corruption ever."

He laughs, then kisses her head. "All right, mush-mop, we'd better get you up and dressed now that I've woken you properly," he murmurs into her hair.

"I hate you," she groans, then burrows down. "I'm not a mop, and I'm not getting out from under this duvet."

She winds herself in it until she's a burrito, then snuggles down properly. "Burrito Bug," he mutters, then lifts her up in her duvet wrap. 

"You've got a talent for alliteration," she remarks, cuddling up to him. "Mush-mop, Burrito Bug, small stuff. You seem to really enjoy that."

"Easy to remember," he dismisses. "It's how kids are taught around here. Albert Apple, Billy Ball, Candy Cat, Danny Dog, and so on."

"That's so cute," she coos. "We could teach our baby like that. I bet he'd love that."

"How did you learn?" Haymitch asks, kissing her nose.

Effie shrugs. "Being shown the objects, having them labelled, and the labels read to me until I got the idea," she says.

"They labelled animals for you?" he asks, his eyebrows shooting up. "No wonder you love the damn things so much."

"No, they labelled  _drawings_ of the animals. Like anyone I knew had animals, my parents would never allow it. I was being raised to be perfect, if I got a scar, they'd forever be covering them," she sighs. "I would have loved it if one of my friends had pets, but if they did, my parents forbade contact with that friend."

"Your parents are weird," he mutters, then bumps her nose with his own. "Anyway, beautiful, I've made you food. You need to be a duvet burrito downstairs."

"I can burrito where ever there's a duvet," she says, smiling up at him. "I'm a great burrito filling."

"As someone who's tasted you, I completely agree," he chuckles, then starts to carry her toward the stairs.

"Be careful, Haymitch, you're precious cargo," she says, wrapping her hands around his head.

"You're precious cargo," he mutters awkwardly, then presses a kiss to her head. "And before you protest, zip it."

He sits her at the kitchen table, still encased in her duvet burrito, and starts to make her pancakes. She looks down at herself and asks "Do I have to get dressed?"

"Not if you want Cinna and Ebony to see you naked," he says. 

"Ugh. Do I have to put a bra on?" she groans. 

"Up to you, don't put one on if you don't want to wear a bra," he chuckles, flipping the pancake. "Nobody's forcing you to."

"You just want to be able to feel me up," she mutters.

"You woke up in a mood today," he remarks, turning to glance at her. "Are you going to be Grouchy Bug today?"

She pouts and gets up. "I'm going to shower, and then I'm putting clothes on," she says, scrambling up and scurrying out of the room in the duvet.

She returns half an hour later to find Haymitch has stacked her pancakes and covered them in chocolate sauce. "Here," he says. "And your daily mug of coffee to caffeinate your soul."

She kisses his cheek and says "I might actually smile now." She devours the pancakes and savours every sip of her coffee, feeling warmer and more alive by the second.

"You look nice," Haymitch says randomly as he washes dishes. "Not that you don't normally, I just mean that..."

"I understood," she giggles, feeling a lot better with some coffee in her system. "And thank you."

He nods awkwardly, and she grins, a rush of love filling her. She gets up and hugs him close, and he asks "What's this for?"

"For being so lovable," she hums, squeezing him gently. "Your fault, you made me feel all gooey, so now you're getting hugs."

"You seriously need to find actual punishments for being nice to you, I don't hate your hugs," he chuckles.

She smiles and kisses him between his shoulder blades, and whispers "That's why I give them for being nice. Making me feel gooey gets you cuddled. And making me feel all hot and bothery gets you-" 

"Fifi! Mitch!" Ebony squeals, running through the hall.

"Ebony, be careful!" Cinna calls. 

Haymitch kisses Effie's nose, then rushes to grab Ebony. He scoops her up and asks "What are you doing, little madam? Why are you running?"

"I wanted to see you and Fifi," Ebony giggles, and Haymitch holds her up at arms' length. She giggles and kicks her feet. "I'm flying! Daddy, Daddy, look, I'm flying!"

"I see that," Cinna chuckles. Effie pokes her head out from behind Haymitch, and Cinna smiles at her. "Hey, Effie."

"Hello," she says, grinning. "Is there anything we need to know about Ebony that I didn't know?"

"Just that she's excited and very easy to impress," Cinna chuckles. "Treat her like you treated Portia when she was drunk, and it'll be fine."

"Hey, Fifi, I'm flying!" Ebony giggles. 

Effie laughs. "I see that!" she giggles, tickling the back of the little girl's knee, making her squeal. "Cinna, can I offer you a drink before you go to this special meeting you're so secretive about?"

"No, thanks, I'd better head off. Ebony, you be good. I'll know if you aren't," he tells her, then kisses her head. "And remember, be gentle here, Auntie Effie and Uncle Haymitch have breakables and a baby on the way. No fighting or breaking things."

"Okay, Daddy," Ebony says, still dangling in the air.

"That's my doll," Cinna murmurs, then smiles at the adults. "Thanks again for having her. If she's any trouble, call me."

"She won't be any trouble," Haymitch says, pulling Ebony to him and sitting her on his hip. "Will you?"

"No, Uncle Mitch," Ebony parrots, smiling innocently.

Cinna chuckles and leaves, and Ebony yanks on Haymitch's shirt. "Why have you got hair there?" she asks, peeking down at Haymitch's chest. "Will I get hair there? When?"

"I'm a man, kid," Haymitch chuckles. "I've got hair there because of that. You're a girl, so you're not going to get hair there."

"Well, she  _will_ , but nowhere near that much," Effie giggles. "Only small strands, and there are safe and painless ways to get rid of them."

Ebony nods, then reaches for Effie. Effie steps closer, expecting a hug, and Ebony yanks her shirt. "No hair," Ebony says curiously. "Why is your chest all swollen? Are you ill?"

Haymitch starts laughing, and Effie goes a pretty shade of pink, smiling indulgently. "No, my darling girl, that's because I'm making the baby's milk. There's nothing wrong," she says kindly, then kisses Ebony's head. "Would you like a drink?"

Ebony nods, and Haymitch carries her to the kitchen. "Sit here, kid," he says quietly, used to talking to Effie that way. "Want some cookies?"

"Ooo," Ebony gasps, her interest clearly taken. "Yes, cookies, please!"

Effie laughs and asks "What would you like to drink, sweetie?"

"Apple?" Ebony asks hopefully.

Effie smiles to herself, getting a little pink plastic cup and pouring some apple juice into it. She takes the cup to Ebony and whispers "Here, darling, you just let me know if you want more."

Haymitch hands Ebony a plate with four cookies on it and says "There you go. Don't swallow before you chew."

Ebony looks like her birthday's come early, and Haymitch hugs Effie close to him. "One day, our son will be doing exactly that," she murmurs happily, resting her hand on her stomach. "Look at that girl go. Cinna must be so pleased to still have her around."

"I'll bet he is," Haymitch murmurs. "Why didn't you find her, though?"

Effie pushes him into the laundry room and whispers "I tried. I searched everywhere for that little girl. I tore the remains of the city apart for her, and I couldn't find so much as a trace. Cinna and Portia hid her well, they gave her a fake name and hid her with distant relatives on the outskirts of the city. I cried for weeks when I was told she was presumed dead." She glances over her shoulder to see Ebony eating a cookie, and looks back. "I would have brought her with me if I had found her. Cinna knew better than I did."

Haymitch hugs her, then guides her back out so that they can watch Ebony. Ebony finishes her cookies and juice, and says "Done."

"Would you like more juice?" Effie asks nervously, as if she's eager to impress the tiny child.

"Only a little, please," Ebony says, smiling up at her.

Effie bolts to get her some more juice, only to be stopped by Haymitch. "Sit down, gorgeous, I've got this one," he tells her, kissing her forehead.

"Did Daddy do that for Mommy?" Ebony asks quietly.

Effie swallows hard and whispers "Yes, darling, he did."

Ebony looks thoughtful, and asks "Did he and Mommy love each other?"

"More than they ever knew they could love," Effie answers softly. "Their love was the kind you can only get once in a lifetime."

"Like yours and Mitch's?" Ebony asks curiously.

Haymitch grins at the juice he's pouring into a glass for Effie, and Effie murmurs "Exactly like Haymitch's and mine. Not everyone is that lucky, but your mommy and daddy were. Haymitch and I are."

"Will I be that lucky?" Ebony prods.

Haymitch says "You have your daddy, you have Auntie Katniss, Uncle Peeta, Auntie Effie, and me. You'll have the love of your life, and nothing less. They have to be  _really_ special before we let them near you."

Effie smiles at him, and smiles even more when he gives her the glass and Ebony her cup. "Aw, thank you, darling!" she exclaims gratefully.

"All right, chill. It's apple juice, not a diamond," he chuckles, petting her gently. He looks at Ebony and asks "So, kiddo, what do you like doing?"

"I like playing games," Ebony says. "Daddy sometimes plays plane with me. Or we draw together. His drawings are far prettier than mine, but I want to be just like him when I grow up. I even want to marry a nice lady like he did."

Effie smiles warmly at her. "I hope you have his taste in girls, darling," she tells her. "Your daddy will be very happy if you do."

Haymitch chuckles "He sure will be. What else do you like to do, Ebony?"

Ebony grins and says "I like to play leapfrog, and I like to play noughts and crosses."

"I'm not much good at leapfrog now, but noughts and crosses I can do," Haymitch says. "And Effie's the artist of the two of us."

"I might need a nap," Effie says softly. "So if you two can play noughts and crosses, and maybe teach her to play chess for an hour or two, I can draw with her while you rest up a bit."

"Sounds good to me," Haymitch says, shrugging. He pets Effie a little more. "What about you, kiddo?"

"Why might you need a nap?" Ebony asks, tilting her head. "Is it because of the baby?"

"Well, not  _because_ of him," Effie says. "When a lady is going to have a baby, her body is working twice as hard, because not only is her body keeping her alive, it's keeping the baby alive too, and that's very tiring. My body has to keep my baby boy alive as much as it has to keep me alive, and that's two whole people to look after, so my body is doing twice the work it's used to, and that makes me very tired, so I need to sleep more."

Ebony visibly shudders. "I don't want to have babies when I grow up," she declares. "Girls don't make babies with girls, right?"

"Right," Haymitch says. "Adult men and women make babies, but never men and men or women and women. And you're better off with a girl, anyway, just ask Effie. Men are hard work for women."

"You're not hard work. You're just frustrating when you refuse to see it from my perspective," Effie refutes, then smiles at Ebony. "All I'll say to you is that either way you go, you need to be able to understand and compromise. No two humans are the same."

"You say that like you've been with a girl," Ebony says.

Effie giggles slightly. "I have," she says. "Several times. But none of them, nor any other man I've been with has held a candle to Haymitch."

Ebony grins, then asks "So you like girls too?"

Haymitch says "Auntie Effie likes  _people_. She's not bothered who or what they are or identify as, as long as there's love on both sides."

Ebony thinks for a second and nods. "Okay. That's really nice," she says. 

Effie smiles fondly at the little girl. "And she's had a lot of heartbreak before she found someone she actually agreed to marry," Haymitch says. "So don't give up on the first heartbreak, you have to try before you find your forever."

"Where did  _that_ come from?" Effie asks, beaming. "That's the sweetest thing I've ever heard you say about our relationship."

"It's true," he mutters awkwardly. "Weren't you going for a nap?"

"You're adorable," Effie coos, then kisses his cheek. "He's right, though. Love isn't always the first try, it can take  _years_. But when you find your forever, no matter who, you'll never want to let them go."

Ebony nods, then bites her lip. "Is there a name for girls who like girls?" she asks quietly.

"They're called lesbians," Haymitch says, surprising Effie. "What? I did use those channels when you weren't around, and I did learn a couple of things."

"You amaze me. Don't you dare tell her any more. There are limits, and Cinna might well kill you if his little girl comes home with more  _knowledge_ than he left her with," Effie hisses.

"All right, go for a nap," Haymitch chuckles. "The girl and I will be fine. You need to go rest."

"Auntie Fifi, I won't let him tell me about those channels. Daddy watches them at night, and I'm not allowed in. I know not to talk about them," Ebony says.

Both the adults cringe at that mental image. "Okay," Effie whispers. "More for the drawer of things I never want to revisit. Haymitch, be nice to her."

She zooms off upstairs, and Haymitch asks "So... Noughts and crosses or chess?"

"Chess," Ebony replies.

He gets out the chess board and sets it up. They play five games together, with Haymitch helping her every step of the way, until Effie comes back, looking a litte more refreshed and happy. "How's it going?" she asks, yawning a bit.

"She's a great little learner," Haymitch says. "Almost as good an opponent as her dad. I need to worry, she might beat me one day."

"That would be you being a great teacher," Effie says. "A great teacher makes for an even greater pupil, after all."

She sits down to read a magazine while Haymitch and Ebony set up a sixth game. "So, kiddo, do you want to try to beat me on your own?" Haymitch asks.

Ebony nods confidently, and Effie smiles at every shocked groan and gasp from the two, until Ebony says "And... Checkmate."

Effie glances up and sees Haymitch grinning. "Well done, kiddo," he says, ruffling her hair. "I knew you'd do it."

"You mean I really did win?!" Ebony gasps.

"You did. You beat me fair and square," Haymitch says, still grinning at her. "Well done, kid. Never thought I'd see the day."

Ebony squeals "Auntie Fifi, look! I won!"

"Aww, well done, sweetie!" she exclaims, kissing Ebony's head. "You  _do_ learn quickly, my sweet girl. Now, shall we let Uncle Haymitch have a rest? I'm sure he's tired after so much chess."

Ebony nods, and asks "Can we draw, Auntie Fifi?"

"Of course, my sweet girl," Effie says, getting out her own sketchpad and a spare. "Here you go, darling. I bought one especially for you."

She gives her coloured pencils and sits her on a stack of cushions at the coffee table, then sits beside her, cross-legged on the floor, ready to draw with her. She uses her own graphite sticks, and Haymitch watches with fascination as Ebony draws her mother with massive white wings, her father, and herself, then adds in what he assumes is Katniss, Peeta, Effie, and himself, all stood in the Village. He then glances at Effie's work, and she's drawn him holding a tiny baby, a look of pure love on his face. He smirks, and strokes her hair gently. Ebony asks "What do you think?" holding up her drawing.

Effie melts for her, and says "Oh, that's  _beautiful_ , Ebony." Her eyes widen and fill with tears, and Haymitch knows exactly what she's spotted.

"What did you draw?" Ebony asks, and Effie smiles slightly.

She hands it over and says "I drew what I want to see."

Ebony asks "Is this your baby?"

"Yes, it is," Effie says. "Your Uncle Haymitch and the baby."

Ebony smiles and hands it back. "Your drawing is very pretty," she says, smiling broadly. "Is that what your baby looks like?"

"Well, I've only seen his face on a screen, but yes, that is what he looks like," Effie replies. "I think he looks like his daddy."

"He does," Ebony agrees.

They draw for a little while longer until Cinna knocks. Haymitch goes to let him in, leaving Effie with Ebony. "Hey," Haymitch says quietly.

"Hey," Cinna replies, looking around. "Has she been good for you?"

"Yeah, she's been great," Haymitch tells him. "She's with Effie in the living room."

Cinna heads into the living room and sees his daughter cuddled up to Effie, watching her draw. "So you see? It's just my imagination going onto the paper," Effie murmurs.

"It looks like me," Ebony says.

"It is you," Effie tells her. "I did this before the war. This is you as a little baby. I've got a drawing of you from when your mommy gave birth to you."

Cinna leans over to see, and is immediately struck by the sight of Portia holding newborn Ebony, and his younger self holding Portia close. "Mommy was very pretty," Ebony whispers.

"She was," Effie murmurs. "She was my best friend. I don't think I've ever had a friend like her."

"Do you have more of Mommy?" Ebony asks.

Effie shows her many of Portia, some of late nights spent together, some of Portia asleep on Cinna, some of Portia during her pregnancy, some of the nights spent in the penthouse, some of Portia teaching Effie to play piano in their teenage years, and some of her posing. "Your mother and I were inseparable, even when your father came into it all. He just made our duo a trio," Effie whispers to the little girl. "If you want me to, I can get these copied for you and your dad."

"That would be nice," Cinna says, around the lump in his throat.

"Daddy!" Ebony squeals, bouncing up to hug him. "Daddy, Daddy, Auntie Fifi was just showing me all her drawings of Mommy! And Uncle Mitch taught me to play chess!"

"Really?" Cinna asks, glancing at the couple. "Did you beat him?"

"Yes!" Ebony yells happily, not noticing Effie's wince at the loudness. "I did! And it only took six games!"

"Lower your voice, Ebs, Auntie's ears are very sensitive," Cinna tells her, picking her up. "Six games of chess? Really?"

"She's a good student," Haymitch says, shrugging. "You should be proud, the kid's done what no one else has."

Effie giggles softly. "You've always been a good strategist, my love," she whispers, cuddling closer to him.

Ebony smiles and says "Auntie Fifi likes people, too."

"Well, of course she does," Cinna chuckles. "Auntie Effie is a social person."

"No, like she likes Uncle Mitch," Ebony clarifies.

Cinna laughs properly. "I know she does," he tells her, kissing her forehead. "Your Auntie Effie has dated a lot of people."

"That makes me out to be a tramp," Effie points out.

"Well, you  _have_ ," Haymitch says, kissing her. "At least you knew you were ready to settle down when you came to me."

She hugs him and whispers "Warm me up, will you? I'm cold again."

"And Uncle Mitch taught me a new word," Ebony reports.

"What word is that?" Cinna asks, giving Haymitch a wary look.

"Les-be-in," Ebony says slowly. "It means girls who like girls."

"Lesbian," Cinna chuckles, clearly relieved that it was nothing bad. "Why did he teach you that?"

Ebony grins and says "I am one! I like girls!"

Cinna smiles at his daughter. "That's great!" he exclaims, stroking her hair. "Now I don't have to worry about grandchildren before I'm fifty."

"Or ever," Ebony says, shuddering. "Auntie Fifi told me that when a lady has a baby inside her, her body has to work twice as hard because it's keeping two people alive, and my body doesn't like hard work. You can have grand-cats."

Haymitch bursts out laughing, where Cinna takes it in stride. "Fine by me, sweet one," he tells her. "You grow up, find a nice girl, and give me grand-cats. I'm all for it."

He takes her home relatively quickly, and Haymitch looks at Effie. "You know, if any kid said that they were into the same sex to their parents like that when I was growing up, they'd be hidden," he says quietly.

Effie nods slightly. "It was less common in the Capitol, but there were some older people who had been raised before the Dark Days, and they were very against same-sex relations. They lived a lot longer than their life expectancy, given the technological advancements made, but nobody took any notice. I suppose around here, it was harder to keep the population up," she says.

"Yeah," he mutters. "It was a shame for those kids if they got to grow up, because their marriages were sad, and they almost never wanted kids."

"Did you know any of them personally?" Effie asks softly, hugging him.

"Only my younger brother," he admits. "He never came out to my mom, and Dad never met him. Guess the little guy was too ashamed to say anything to anyone else."

"How come?" she murmurs.

"He knew Mom's stand on it. She wouldn't have been nasty to him, she had too good a heart, but she would have told him to keep it quiet. I didn't want him getting hurt for that, he couldn't help it," he mutters, hugging her close. "He would have loved you. He didn't know women could be into other women, and you'd have been really nice to him."

"I would have. I know how much he means to you," she whispers. "What did you tell him when he came out to you?"

"I told him what I told Ebony," he says. "Except he came out as bisexual, and he wanted to know if it was okay to like other guys too. He knew I wouldn't care about that really, but he knew Mom did. He knew most of the District did."

"When did he tell you?" Effie asks.

"He told me a week before the reaping for my Games. Guess he wanted to tell me just in case I was reaped and he couldn't tell anyone," Haymitch mumbles.

She coos sadly and cuddles him tightly. "Your brother was lucky to have you," she murmurs. "You were a point of trust for him, and that's what siblings deserve. You two must have had a pretty nice relationship."

"It was as good as any brothers you could meet, I guess," he says. 

"Come on, sweetie. We'll go have a drink, maybe a cupcake, and if you want, we can have a bit of fun now that we're alone again," she murmurs, kissing his shoulder. "I hate being short. I could have kissed you properly."

"Short thing," he mocks, lifting her up. "Come on, then. A drink and a cupcake it is."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so how was that? I hope I didn't upset anyone with this. I'm sorry it's so late, but I was out on Tuesday after being in bed with some pretty bad pain all week, and Tuesday is usually my editing day, where I correct mistakes and fix plot holes (or create them), and put notes in, and so on. I didn't have a chance to, so I was going to do it yesterday. If you follow my Twitter, you'll already know about the blinding migraine that had me either asleep or whining all day. So here's a chapter two days late.
> 
> As always, if you have any opinions, constructive criticism, or questions, please feel free to leave it in a comment below, and I will reply as soon as I get it.
> 
> Much love and happiness to you all. Until next week. Cat xxx


	31. Halloween Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Effie decides that she's going to host a Halloween party, and Haymitch is dragged into the celebrations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone. Yes, I know, this chapter's half an hour late. Better than last time, though. I was helping my mum get ready to go out, it took me a while. Now, this chapter, in case it's unclear, begins at the start of October and spans the month. So it's Halloween in February now.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games, its characters, or its world. All rights go to Suzanne Collins, and I am not Suzanne. I just like playing around with her characters

Effie pokes Haymitch gently. "Babe, wake up," she whispers.

"Effie, unless there's something up with you or our son, go back to sleep," he grumbles.

"I want a Halloween party," she murmurs.

"I want a night of uninterrupted sleep before our son comes out," he mutters sleepily. "Go back to sleep, Eff, we can talk about your party dreams later."

"But I'm thinking  _now_ ," she whines. "Please?"

"No. Go back to sleep and enjoy feeling the baby kick you," he mutters, turning away from her. 

"Then at least cuddle me," she mumbles, reaching for him. "If you won't let me talk, snuggle with me instead. I'm sure our baby would  _love_ to kick your hand."

He groans "You're an impossible little being, Eff," but rolls over and hugs her close. "Now  _sleep_."

She drags his hand to her stomach, and as if on cue, their son kicks at his father's hand. "Do you understand why I'm not sleeping now?" she asks softly. "Imagine that on your bladder all night."

With a soft mutter about how irritating she is, he scoots down the bed and kisses her stomach gently until their son kicks at him. "Hey, little man. Listen up, I'm tired, and you keeping Mommy up makes Mommy keep me up. Do a fellow guy a favour and go to sleep. You're going to be out before you know it, you can keep us up then. Just be nice and calm in there at night, okay? Be gentle on Mommy's bladder."

"Our child is going to be a little handful," Effie breathes, smiling lovingly at him. "Have I ever told you how adorable it is that you talk to him this way? It's so sweet to know that the only person you've ever been like this for is our son."

"And we'll see if he  _stays_ the only person I'm like this for after you've pushed him out," Haymitch chuckles, then rubs her stomach gently. "Make the most of being in one piece."

"I can't, I'm getting bigger," she murmurs. "I really love him, even though he's ruining my figure."

"You're just as hot as you were before you got pregnant, sweetheart. Come late February, you'll be pleading with him to be born," he chuckles. "You'll never be a toothpick again, though."

"I don't care. I can always work to get my figure back, if a little more rounded than it was," she says, resting her hand on her stomach. "I'll have stretch marks. Will you be okay to see that?"

"Princess, seriously, I'm not that shallow," he sighs. "Besides, seeing them will just remind me that you got them growing a whole human being inside you that will be sleeping somewhere in our house, or eating food from our fridge."

"You mean you'll find the reminders of my pregnancy arousing?" she asks, clearly amused.

"Yeah. This is you growing a little person who's the perfect combination of our genes. I'm going to be reminded of the fact that you carried our child every time I see your stretch marks, and every time I look at this little guy," he says, shrugging.

"You say the sweetest things sometimes," she whispers, tearing up. She hugs him tightly, and sniffs a little. "I love it when you say such lovely things, you make me happy."

"Okay, okay, soggy thing, lie down and go back to sleep. You're even more emotional when you're tired. And you've interrupted my sleep," he grumbles, rubbing her back.

She squeezes him and whispers "I just love you so much..."

He rolls his eyes and lies down with her in his arms. "I love you too," he grumbles reluctantly. "Even though you're a massive pain in the neck."

"I know," she sniffs and cuddles him close. "Can we have a Halloween party, though?"

Haymitch just rolls his eyes. "Go to sleep."

* * *

Effie pesters him for two days straight about a Halloween party, and eventually, during dinner with Katniss and Peeta, she says "If I get an answer from this sweetie over here, I think I'm going to do a costume party for Halloween. I just need the green light from this angel I call a husband."

"Effie, flattery gets you nowhere," Haymitch groans.

"Well, I want an answer," she huffs. "I've been asking for two days now, I need time to plan if I get the green light from you."

"When have you  _ever_ asked me for permission?" he scoffs, stuffing a forkful of green beans into his mouth, and continues talking around them, taking great pleasure in Effie's uncomfortable squirming. "You've  _never_ considered asking me before."

"Swallow,  _then_ talk," she huffs. "That's a disgusting act, and bad manners to boot. Food tastes much better if it  _stays_ in your mouth. As for asking your permission, we live together, I can't just decorate and throw a party if you're not okay with it. It's unfair to you."

"Sweetheart, you've  _never_ wanted my permission before, and you'll never want it again," he sighs. 

"A simple  _yes_ or  _no_ will suffice!" she screeches, finally losing her temper on him. "Do you want a Halloween party, yes or no?!"

Katniss rolls her eyes fondly. "That's the part of pregnancy I  _won't_ miss. Mood swings," she sighs, glancing at Willow's basket in the corner.

"No," Haymitch sighs. "I don't want a Halloween party, Eff. I hate parties. I'd prefer a night on the sofa with you, watching scary movies and eating candy. But if you want to go for a party, go for it."

Effie's shoulders slump, and Haymitch just rolls his eyes at her. "I'm not doing anything you're not happy with," she mutters miserably. "You live there too, it's only right that it's respectful."

"Why don't you rent the town hall?" Katniss suggests.

"Katniss, I'm almost the size of a whale, I can't possibly decorate the town hall on my own," Effie sighs. "It's a good idea, though. Maybe next Halloween, I'll do that. I was going to get Haymitch to help me out with just our living room, but he's right. A night in is probably better for the little one than a party."

"Effie, I told you, if you want a party, go nuts," Haymitch groans. "Stop moping. You asked if I wanted it, I said no. You didn't ask  _can you have it_ _,_ you just assumed that you couldn't."

"Well, I can't if you're not on board, I'd need you to help me out," she huffs. "It's fine, now that I've got my answer, I want to move on."

"You're not  _going_ to move on, though, you're going to mope around and complain," he argues. "And  _yeah_ , you will, you know you will."

"I get a night in with you!" she snaps. "I'm perfectly content to snuggle up with you and watch movies! I'm not the party girl I was, you know! I just thought, since it's two days after Ebony's birthday, we could hold it in her honour. I mentioned that yesterday, but you were too busy ignoring me. Again."

That gets Haymitch's back up, and he snarls "Excuse me?! When was the last time I ignored you before you started getting all  _you_ on me again?!"

"What does  _that_ mean?!" Effie demands. "Getting all  _me_ on you again?! What do you mean by that?!"

"Can you two not?" Katniss groans.

"I mean being a nuisance!" Haymitch snaps, as if Katniss hasn't spoken. "I mean persistently asking me the same damn question for hours! And you've ignored the question! When did I ignore you before this whole  _party_ thing?!"

"If I say any time before I moved in, you'll say you don't ignore me!" Effie shouts angrily. "But you  _have_ ignored me multiple times! And you're really, really mean to say I won't just leave things be! You told me no, so that's the end of it! No more talk of it! I'm not the one who can't move on! I mean, look at you! You took nearly twenty seven years to let go of your past!"

"That's a low blow, Effie," Peeta murmurs.

"She's right," Haymitch snarls, his eyes blazing with fury. "It took me twenty seven years to recover from  _lasting trauma_ , and the deaths of everyone I loved, and that's with fifty reminders over twenty five years! Like you could get over that with no help! Like you could get over it  _now_! You're really, really stupid sometimes, Princess."

Effie glares at him and hisses "For everyone's sake, I'm going to shut up and hold any anger back. I'm not letting our children, nor our grandchild, hear  _any_ of the nasty things I could say to you. But if you call me stupid again, there  _will_ be a problem."

"There wouldn't be a problem if you weren't comparing years of trauma with being told that my significant other didn't want a goddamn party!" he snaps at her. "It's so far from the same thing, it's on the other side of the country!"

"Haymitch, drop it," she says firmly. "I'm not arguing with you. No parties, I'm stupid, you can't let things go, argument summed up, and I'm not going any further with it. Find something else to grump about."

"No, because you're acting like a little kid," he snarls. "You can't pass that attitude off as mood swings or blame it on any aspect of pregnancy."

"I'm not trying to!" she bellows. "I've already told you, stop with this nonsense! All you're doing is winding yourself up, stressing the kids out, and upsetting me! This is getting us nowhere! Find something else to talk about, or I'll wrap your food up, and you can go home to eat!"

Haymitch rolls his eyes and mutters something inaudible about her, and continues eating. The silence is strained, and her subject change is awkward at best as she tries to strike up a conversation about art with Peeta. Privately, she thinks the younger couple are glad when she and Haymitch gets their shoes and coats on to go home. Haymitch immediately goes upstairs to his and Effie's room with a grumbled "I'm going to bed. Don't wake me when you come up."

"I have no intention to," she mutters angrily and curls up on the sofa. She spends a few hours just reading before her eyes start to droop, and she sighs softly, closing her book, then rubs her stomach gently and "I know your daddy and I are upset with each other right now, sweet one, but I promise you, whatever it is, it won't last very long. We always make up in the end. You're coming into a home where you'll be loved and nurtured by us both. We'll never let our fights hurt you, no matter what. I know that the feeling you're living with in there isn't very nice at the minute, baby, but it'll fade. Daddy will come to me soon, and we'll talk about it. I feel like I was in the wrong for this one, and he'll be very happy when he knows he's won against me again. Just hang in there, and don't let my feelings hurt you. I love you, darling baby."

She goes to the kitchen and pours herself a glass of water, carries it to the living room, wraps herself in a fleecy throw, and drinks her water. She lies down on the sofa once she's done, and rubs her stomach gently. It takes her  _hours_ to fall asleep, and she can't seem to stay asleep, one nightmare to freeze her in place after the other. She doesn't cry or go to wake Haymitch, she just gives up and reads some more. That morning, Haymitch comes downstairs, looking worse for the wear, and asks "Why didn't you come up last night?"

"You told me not to wake you, and coming up would have woken you," she replies quietly, then unwraps herself, despite how cold she is. "Now that you're up, what do you want for breakfast?"

"Toast," he mutters, and approaches her. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," she murmurs, and rushes for the kitchen, narrowly avoiding his hand reaching for her hair. "Want some coffee with your toast?"

"Sure," he replies, following her into the kitchen. "How did you sleep?"

"With my eyes closed," she replies sarcastically. "How did you sleep?"

"Funny, Princess," he scoffs. "I didn't sleep, I was waiting for you. Really, how did you sleep?"

"You shouldn't have waited, you know I don't go to bed angry," she sighs disapprovingly. "I had a few nightmares, needed the toilet a few times, nothing I've never dealt with before. It's better that we just leave yesterday where it is. I'm not dealing with that again today."

She starts to make coffee, and puts some bread in the toaster, and Haymitch steps up behind her to hug her close. "Sweetheart, we need to talk about it before we let it go. It was out of bounds," he murmurs, kissing her head.

"I know," she murmurs. "And I'm sorry. It was nasty of me to push you like that, especially in front of the kids, and I should never have brought up the past like that. I was very much out of bounds, and it won't be happening again."

"Good to know," he says, then nuzzles her head. "I'm sor-"

"No. Don't. It wasn't your fault that it went that far. I was acting ridiculously. You weren't wrong to say what you said," she interrupts.

"I was wrong," he insists. "You're not stupid. You're not immature. And yeah, okay, I do ignore you sometimes. I shouldn't, but I do. I'm far from the guy you deserve, but I'm a selfish excuse of a guy too. I'm not about to let you go."

She shakes her head slightly and leans back against him. "All this over a party... Honestly, when did we turn into  _that_ couple?" she chuckles. "Really, though, it's okay. I'm willing to forget it if you are."

"Okay," he sighs, then strokes her stomach gently. "If you still want to have a party for Halloween, go for it."

She groans softly and leans on him. "Honey. No. We're having a quiet night in, you, our baby, a lot of candy, hot drinks, and me. We're not having  _anything_ to do with a party. We can visit Cinna and Ebony on her birthday with gifts, and we can act like we never considered an actual event," she murmurs, then pours coffee into just one mug, and butters the toast, placing it on just the one plate, then hands the mug and plate to him. "Now that we've cleared this up, I'm going to go to bed and get some rest, because I don't feel fantastic, and our son's going to suffer if I'm not at least  _partially_ rested."

* * *

Halloween night arrives, and Effie's actually glad she didn't plan a party for once. She rolls her eyes at the vampire costume she'd chosen last month, and grabs a black flannel nightgown from the wardrobe, and changes into it, relieved of a maternity top and leggings again. With a great deal of satisfaction, she unhooks her bra and slides the straps off her arms through her nightgown, then whips it out of her sleeve, carelessly dropping it to the ground. She stretches happily and says "This joy you're experiencing right now, my angel baby, is the one that comes only with bra removal, and I hope you never choose bras. I don't care what you identify yourself as when you're older, bras suck, and you'll be happier without them."

She strolls downstairs, and Haymitch calls "Come on, beautiful, I've got us all set up down here!"

"I was getting rid of my underwear, I needed a minute to revel in bralessness," she giggles as she enters the living room. Her amusement quickly dies when she sees the living room decked out in spider webs, green lights, black and orange decorations, and skeletons everywhere. There's a buffet, and all of their friends are hanging around the living room with spooky music playing, everyone dressed and made up. "Umm. Honey? Care to explain where our night in on the sofa went?"

"Out the window," he replies, smirking. "And you just told everyone how happy you are to be underwear free."

"I doubt anyone in this room disagrees with me about how uncomfortable underwear is," she says, shrugging. "So... Why the party? You were rather adamant that it wasn't happening."

"Well, I couldn't tell you that your plan to have a Halloween party was interfering with my plan to throw you a surprise Halloween party, that defeats the purpose of a surprise party," he says, grinning at her. "And yeah, I already know. I'm the absolute worst, and you hate me, but you're grateful anyway, and you're going to go get yourself into your sexy vampire costume. You've said it all before."

She runs at him and hugs him tightly. "I love you so much, you evil, diabolical man. And you're going to get some very kinky sex tonight for this one," she murmurs, sniffing slightly as the tears start again. "And you should be very glad that I am not wearing makeup."

"All right, soggy Bug, go upstairs and get changed, you're a hostess, this is a bit rude," he chuckles, rubbing her back.

"No. I'm staying my nightie. It's black, it'll do," she says. "I'm dressed as a sleepy zombie, that's it."

He chuckles, and Effie slips straight into  _hostess mode_ , offering everyone snacks and drinks, and making small talk. Haymitch watches her fondly from a corner of the room, and Katniss edges over to him. "Is the look on her face worth upsetting her the week before last?" she asks softly.

"Absolutely," he chuckles. "Thanks again for keeping her in the dark."

"It's not hard, she's still as oblivious as she was four years ago," she says, grinning a bit. "Reckon she'll want a Christmas party too?"

"I sincerely hope  _not_ , she's a pain," he chuckles. "Besides, by then, she'll be around seven months along."

"It's Effie, she'll be small and desperate to show off her somehow still fantastic figure," Katniss chuckles. "I swear she was supposed to be a bit bigger than that by now."

"Don't tell her that, she's happy with her size, and the doctor says the baby's fine," Haymitch says softly, shooting a wary glance at Effie. 

Katniss raises an eyebrow. "You looked it up, didn't you?" she asks. "What did your latest mom forum say?"

"I don't go straight for the mom forums, sweetheart, don't be stupid," he mutters, his ears burning. Katniss just watches him knowingly until he mutters "Something about  _popping_. Like you did with Willow. One minute, barely a bump, then out of nowhere, obvious baby."

Katniss lets out a rare burst of loud laughter, prompting a strange look from everyone in the room, and some concern mixed in with Effie's expression. She waves them off, and murmurs, still chuckling "I knew it. So, we're waiting for her to  _pop_ , huh? Well, I can't wait. She'll be complaining all the time, and then she'll never want sex again."

"I don't know about that," Haymitch chuckles, grinning a bit. "Since month five started, she's been more into sex than ever, and she's never once not been in hyper drive."

"Gross, don't need to know," Katniss groans, rolling her eyes. "Unless you want me to tell you about Peeta bending me over the-"

"Not really, no," Haymitch winces, cutting her off effectively. "That's disturbing. I don't want to hear about anyone bending anyone over anything at all, thanks. You two are my  _kids_ , and that's weird as all hell. No."

"And you and Effie are our  _parents_ , and that's weirder," she argues. "I don't like knowing about Effie's hyper sex drive-"

"My  _what now_?!" Effie squeaks, appearing at Katniss's shoulder, clearly horrified. "Haymitch, what are you telling this girl?!"

"Nothing," Haymitch says hastily.

"I don't like hearing about  _that_ as much as you hate hearing about Peeta bending me over the back of the sofa," Katniss finishes, wincing at Effie's whine.

"Oh,  _really_!" Effie groans. "No! Why does everything have to come back to sex with you two? Oh, that sounds even worse! I'm leaving you two to give each other nightmares. And maybe calling a therapist after this..."

"Great, you broke my wife again," Haymitch sighs.

"You brought up her hyper sex drive, I was just replying to you," Katniss cringes. "You do know how conversations work, you live with the chattiest being ever made."

"Can't deny that she's chatty," he winces, still reeling over the sofa thing. "You just had to give me nightmare images, didn't you?"

"You gave me nightmare images too, so we're square," she says. "Go find Effie, try to fix her brain. She might be crying somewhere now."

Haymitch shrugs and walks off, desperate to find Effie. She's munching on a brownie, and her eyes are scrunched shut. "Hey, beautiful," he murmurs.

"Hey, handsome," she replies, not opening her eyes. "Are you people free?"

"Just us by the table," he says, and she opens her eyes. "Why were you standing here with your eyes closed?"

"I'm having a very hard time not seeing people... In the nude..." she murmurs. "And the only person in here that I want to see naked is you. If I had mental issues before, it's nothing compared to now."

He chuckles and kisses her nose. "Only a few more hours now, Princess, and we can get some good stuff in before sleep if we're lucky," he murmurs, hugging her.

"I promised you kinky, you're getting kinky," she whispers. "And I'm getting fat, because these brownies are delicious."

"We have more in the fridge," he says. "A whole shelf and a half full, all for you."

"I'm going to die happy," she giggles. "I love you so, so, so much."

By midnight, everyone else has filtered out, and Haymitch and Effie are lounging on the sofa, sharing a massive plate of brownies."Sex isn't happening tonight, is it?" Haymitch asks lazily.

"I'll make it up to you tomorrow," Effie murmurs. "I'm most of the way into a chocolate coma."

"Fine with me," he yawns. "Lie on me when you get tired."

"On it," she hums, and smiles as he starts snoring. "You're adorable when you sleep."

Naturally, Haymitch hears nothing, and barely stirs when she lies down on his lap for the night, and Effie falls asleep with a smile on her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's another chapter down. I hope you enjoyed it. Please feel free to ask questions, leave ideas, and constructive criticism down in the comments, I do love having chats with you.
> 
> Much love and happiness to you all. Until next week. Cat xxx


	32. Talking Naps, Birth, Cupcakes, and Names

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Effie's tired and just wants to sleep, and Haymitch is in dire need of clean sheets, getting Effie to the doctor's office, and more besides.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! Check this out, I've uploaded on time! Hopefully now we're back to staying on 6pm uploads... Enjoy this one, I made it long.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games, its characters, or its world. All rights go to Suzanne Collins, and I am not Suzanne. I just like playing with her characters.

It's been six days since their Halloween party, and five since Effie left their bed, and Haymitch is getting bored, lonely, and for once in his life, he wants to change the bedsheets and give Effie fresh clothes. "Princess, wake up," he says, shaking her shoulder, just to be batted off. "Sweetheart, come on."

"What day is it?" Effie mumbles, stretching.

"November sixth," Haymitch sighs, watching her roll over with a groan. "Want to tell me why you're suddenly too tired to move?"

"Ask the hormones," she yawns. "Or better yet, your son. He's the one trying to kick my lungs out through my throat. I can't  _believe_ there's another four months left."

"He might come sooner," he points out, placing his hand lightly on her stomach. "No getting ideas, Tiger. Mommy might not like being kicked, but there's no rush for you to come out, it'll just mean you have a rough start."

"He's right, stay right there," Effie mutters, then snuggles back down. "I'm in no rush to push you out, sweetie. Believe me."

Haymitch chuckles, then asks "How are you getting to your next appointment, sweetheart?"

"What do you mean?" she asks, her eyes drooping closed again. 

"Well, you smell like a middle school boys' locker room, and that's not great," he tells her. "And you're determined not to leave the bed for whatever weird reason you chose this time. So tell me how you plan to get to the clinic in this state. Your appointment's in three hours."

"I'll shower," she murmurs. "Wake me in an hour, okay?"

"No, because I need to change the bedsheets. Not leaving the bed and not washing for six days usually means the bed reeks," he says.

"Look at you, wanting clean bedsheets," she giggles sleepily. "I knew I'd get into that clever, stubborn head of yours eventually. It's just a shame it had to happen while I'm too tired to brain."

"Beautiful, what will it take to get you out of bed?" he asks. "I'm not going to keep playing these games every time you don't want to go to the clinic."

"Fine," she huffs. "Wake me in an hour, I'll go get washed, change the bedsheets, and then I'll go to the clinic."

"Fine. Nap for another hour. I'll wake you with some coffee," he says. "I'm not fighting you when we have to go out, though. I'll buy you a cake from the boy if you do this without kicking up a fuss."

"I'm twenty eight, Haymitch, and I'm not your daughter. I don't need bribing," she huffs, then gets out of bed. "Forget it, I'll go shower. I'm too annoyed at you trying to act like my dad to sleep any more."

"Well, you can't blame me for being suspicious. You seem to get  _really_ tired every time you have to go to the clinic," he says, shrugging. 

She glares at him and stalks off into the bathroom. Thirty minutes later, she comes out, her hair in a towel hat, dressed in a pretty black maternity shirt and a loose, flowing skirt. "Off the bed," she says firmly, grabbing the duvet.

"What are you doing?" he asks, standing up. 

"Changing the bedsheets," she replies shortly, clearly angry. She pulls too hard on the duvet cover, and squeals in pain as her nail snaps. "Ouch! Oh my... Ouch!"

"What did you do?" he asks, grabbing her hand and studying it. "That's broken too far down to cut."

She whimpers softly, snatching her hand back. She grabs her nail scissors and cuts her nail right down, and trims the rest to match. She replaces her nail scissors on the nightstand and continues stripping the bed. "Why don't you go and get us some clean sheets?" she asks quietly, emotionlessly.

He does, and returns with an armful of bed sheets and pillow cases. "Want some help?" he asks.

"No, it's fine," she murmurs. "Why don't you go and find somewhere comfy to read for a bit?"

"Sweetheart, I get that you're mad at me for saying that you seem to only get really exhausted when you have to go to the clinic and for offering to buy you a cake if you go without fuss, but you could just say it," he sighs. "There's no need to get all passive aggressive on me."

"Haymitch, really, just go and find something to do," she insists. "I'm not mad at you, I'm just really tired. I can't be bothered fighting. I'll set off for the clinic once I've eaten."

"Why bother going three hours early?" he asks. "And what's all this  _you on your own_ stuff?"

She rolls her eyes and takes the sheets out of his arms. "Get that off the floor and put it in the hamper, please," she huffs, starting to put the fresh sheets on the bed.

He grabs her arm and says "Not yet. Tell me why you're acting as if I'm not coming with you today. You're acting really weirdly today."

"Look, neither of us want a fight. I'm just used to saying it like that, because usually, when I'm asked, the person asking asks if  _I'm_ doing something, because there's only me there to ask," she tells him. "I'm not saying you're not coming, it's just how I'm used to talking. Why is everything such a drama with you?"

"I'm not the overdramatic one here," he scoffs, putting fresh pillow cases on their pillows. "Why can't you just talk to me like a normal person?"

"Why can't you stop nitpicking everything I say?" she fires back. "You're just looking for trouble with me lately, and it's upsetting. I can't say I'm going out, despite the fact that I am, without you having to pick a fight over it. I ask you to get me something in the night because my back's giving me trouble, and you have to fight with me over it. What is it with you lately? You used to be really lovely to me when we were alone, and lately, you've just been treating me how you used to when we had to bicker all the time for the bugs in the buildings, albeit with a few more kisses and cuddles."

He shrugs. "Fine, you can have that. You're just talking like you're alone in this a bit more frequently, that's all. I'm worried you're starting to drift," he says, hoping to stop the argument before it becomes fully fledged and loud. 

She closes her eyes for a second, and finishes putting the sheets on the bed and duvet before snatching the pillows and pillow cases and taking over. She drops to her knees once she's done, and Haymitch rushes to her, panicking, only to get a glance from her. "I'm picking the dirty laundry up," she tells him calmly. "I'm not feeling faint. I'm just getting too big to bend over properly."

"Well, forgive me for worrying when you drop like that," he scoffs, but offers her his hand to help her up, and breathes a small sigh of relief when she takes it. She quickly lets go, and when she ducks her head, he pulls her close to him. "Hey, what's up?"

She snuggles up to him and whispers "I'm really, really tired. Close to falling asleep tired."

"How come?" he asks, cuddling her.

"I don't know," she murmurs. "I'm just really sleepy as of late. Don't worry, I'll stay awake long enough to get to the appointment and back, but I make no promises of being awake when  _we_ get home."

Her emphasis on  _we_ isn't lost on Haymitch. "All right," he sighs. "Lie down, beautiful. Get some more sleep. If needs be, I'll carry you to the clinic."

"It won't come to that," she murmurs, and escapes his hold. "I'll power through, no point wasting time."

"You'll only be too tired to function if you don't get some more sleep now," he points out, taking the dirty sheets from her. "Go back to sleep for a while, beautiful."

Her face fills with mixed emotions, and she sinks down onto the bed, but doesn't lie down like she usually does when there are clean sheets on, she just sits there, staring at her knees. "Please put the laundry in the hamper," she says quietly.

He does, and comes back to find her curled up on herself, trembling slightly. He sits down and hugs her close, then whispers "What's the matter, beautiful?" 

She doesn't immediately reply, just trembles against him for a minute. Eventually, she whispers "I'm a horrible mom already."

"No, you're not," he says, taken aback by this. "Why would you think that?"

"I'm too scared to go anywhere near the clinic, even though I know he needs me to. I hate that place so much, and having a little human who needs me to go makes it hard to cope. I have no choice in the matter, and it's scary," she whimpers. "It's so selfish of me to be terrified when he needs it, and what if he needs to go when he's born? I don't know if I'll be able to."

"If it comes to that when he's born, I'll take him," Haymitch says gently. "It's just pregnancy you need to get through. Everything else, we can either get a doctor here for, or I can take him to the clinic. You can handle another four months, right?"

"Yes," she whispers. "Do I have to give birth there?"

"It'd be safer," he says slowly. "But if you want a home birth, we can set that up."

She sniffs slightly and whispers "I want what's best for him. I don't care if I'm scared out of my wits, he needs the very best."

"We'll ask the doctor, yeah?" he murmurs. "We'll get expert advice. Nothing will go wrong with him, I promise."

* * *

"Effie, come on," Haymitch sighs, tugging her gently toward the clinic. "Think of our baby. You said you wanted the best for him."

"I do," she whimpers. "I really do, I'm just not as okay with this place as I need to be."

He picks her up and carries her in, then puts her down gently. "There," he says.

The receptionist asks "How can I help?"

Haymitch says "It's an appointment for Effie Abernathy, two thirty."

The receptionist checks and nods. "Okay, great, I'll let the doctor know she's here. Take a seat," she says, gesturing.

Haymitch takes Effie to the chairs and helps her sit down. She starts to fidget, and he holds her tightly. "It's okay, beautiful," he whispers, kissing her head.

"I don't like it," she whimpers quietly, burying her nose on his shoulder. "I keep expecting the Capitol guards to come in and arrest me again, and try to hurt Baby."

"Nobody's going to try to hurt him," Haymitch sighs. "I wouldn't let anyone try. He's perfectly safe, and so are you."

In a practiced move, he gently places his hand on her stomach and slowly moves his hand in circles, soothing her. Their baby boy kicks at his father's hand and he chuckles softly. Effie whispers "I have nightmares of it. I see myself coming here, and they come for me. They hurt our baby, and the people around me laugh and cheer them on."

"They're just nightmares," he tells her gently. "Nobody here would hurt our son, and nobody here would hurt you. You're safe here. You're perfectly safe. The baby's fine."

"Effie Abernathy?" a voice calls.

Haymitch helps her up, and wraps his arm around her. "Come on, beautiful. Keep cuddling up, you're totally safe," he murmurs.

Effie whimpers quietly, and somewhere, a quiet voice says "See her? That's what the inside of mental institutions looks like. Full of nutters like her."

Haymitch stills, and Effie whispers "Babe, come on. Never mind her. She's just upset that you're my husband. She's always mean when we cross paths."

"You know her?" he asks softly, ready to fight.

"Yes, but not well. She's nobody special. Come on, our baby needs his checkup," she whispers, tugging him toward the room they've been called into. Once she's actually got him in there, she sits him down and perches on his lap. "Sorry for the wait, Doctor."

"Not a problem, your fear of this place is well known throughout the District," the doctor says gently. "How have you been feeling lately?"

"Exhausted," Effie sighs. "I want nothing more than to sleep all the time, and while it's a step up from vomiting all the time, it's rather irritating to be falling asleep while I'm supposed to be cuddling."

The doctor notes that down and says "It's honestly more common than you think. You had a hard time in your first trimester, and now that the baby's big enough to kick you around, you're suffering from broken and restless sleep. I wouldn't worry too much about that unless you're falling asleep while doing things such as cooking, or walking up and down stairs."

"No, I usually fall asleep when I'm comfortable," Effie replies, snuggling up to Haymitch. "For example, when I'm lying down or sitting on my sofa."

"That's normal," the doctor tells her, a warm smile illuminating her face. "Now, have you two considered what you want to do for the birth?"

"Well, we planned to ask for proper medical advice," Effie says, resting her hand on her stomach. "We want what's best for our son primarily, so we'll do whatever suits his safety. The thing is, as you know, I'm terrified of being here. I don't enjoy spending my time here, and when I'm trying to get my child out of me, I'd rather not be scared."

"You want a home birth, then?" the doctor asks.

"Well, I'd like to, but as I said, I want my baby safe more than I want to choose where I deliver him," she says, gently rubbing her stomach. "Don't get any ideas, my beautiful boy, you're coming out in March, unless there's medical reasons to get you out sooner."

The doctor chuckles and says "Well, nearer time, we'll determine whether it's safe for him to be born at home. In the meantime, we'll focus on now. Has he been moving regularly?"

"He has," Effie says. "He sleeps frequently in the day, so I take naps when he's not kicking me, and when he is, I'm often awake too. At night, I get no sleep at all."

"When he doesn't sleep, nobody sleeps," Haymitch chuckles. 

"Exactly. Is it normal?" Effie asks worriedly. "Is he okay?"

"Perfectly okay," the doctor tells her gently. "A lot of women don't sleep at night when the baby's kicking. You're sleeping during the day, so it's not as bad as it could be."

The doctor continues asking questions, and Effie answers, while Haymitch just looks around and sees posters for babies growing and their sizes as they grow. Before long, the doctor has Effie stand, and he drops his voice to ask "What's happening, beautiful?"

She smiles and says "Examination. You know, checking he's okay and such like, then she's going to do a sonograph."

He nods, then kisses her hand gently. "Look at you, huh? Calm as anything," he murmurs.

"Don't spook me, I've only just calmed my heart rate," she murmurs back.

He watches with fascination as the doctor confirms that different parts of the examination are okay with Effie before she proceeds with anything, and Effie stands still and breathes slowly, measuring each breath, then the doctor smiles a little at Effie. "You've done well so far. You've not run off in a blind panic," she says kindly, a teasing smile playing on her lips to relax Effie further. "You and your son are just fine. He's a little larger than most babies are at twenty four weeks, but since you're not vomiting as much now and are eating more, that's expected. Would you like to hop up on the bed?"

"If I could, I would," Effie giggles, clearly a little calmer now. "Haymitch, my love, would you put your strength to a bit more use for me?"

He chuckles and lifts her up tenderly, wary of hurting her, and lies her down on the bed. "Don't fall asleep, beautiful," he chuckles, kissing her nose.

"We're seeing our baby, I'm not sleeping when I get to see him," she whispers, smiling as she pushes her skirt down a little and tucks her shirt into her bra. "By the way, I need to go to the store after this, my bra's too tight and it hurts."

He nods and says "We're heading that way anyway, I promised you a cupcake."

"Oh, don't be silly, I was never going to accept a cupcake," she scoffs. "I'm not a child, I don't need bribery."

"Fine. What if I buy you a cupcake just because you love them?" he asks, kissing her head. "And because you're an amazing wife?"

"Sucking up to me? What have you done that I need to know about but you feel bad for?" she asks suspiciously.

"Can't a man want to treat his wife?" he asks innocently, stroking her hair.

"Any other man, yes. You? No. You're being  _suspiciously_ nice, not just  _you_ nice," she says. "What did you do?"

"I didn't," he says, poking her cheek. "I just want to spoil you a bit. Nothing wrong with wanting to spoil you."

"Hmm. I still think you're up to something," she says suspiciously.

The doctor comes over with a tube of gel, and Effie winces at the sight. "You're not keen on this, are you?" the doctor chuckles.

"Not really, it's cold, and my skin's not a fan of that," Effie tells her. The doctor squirts the gel onto Effie's skin and smiles a little at her hiss, then starts up the machine. Effie asks "Is it weird for a man to offer to treat his wife when he's tried bribing her earlier in the day?"

"Not in the slightest, he's probably feeling bad for bribing her in the first place," the doctor chuckles. "My husband's tried it a few times, and each time, he ended up sleeping on the sofa. They don't learn."

Haymitch chuckles and says "You women are far smarter than you get credit for."

"He thought he could bribe me into leaving the house with cupcakes," Effie says fondly, rolling her eyes. "The baby's enough to make me go out, no matter how much I don't want to."

Haymitch rolls his eyes at that, and the doctor smiles, then gently places the wand into the gel. A second passes, and she finds the baby's heartbeat with ease. "There he is," she says, showing them the monitor. Their son is curled up today, his thumb in his mouth. "See what I mean about him being a little bigger than expected?"

"Yes," Effie whispers, staring at the image of their son. "Oh, he's  _beautiful_. I swear he gets more perfect every time we see him."

"Is he sucking his thumb?" Haymitch asks, transfixed.

"He is," the doctor chuckles, then zooms in on the baby's face. "There we go, you can see him a little better now."

Haymitch chuckles softly. "Well, one thing's for sure, sweetheart. He's got your facial structure," he murmurs, petting Effie.

"He has your nose, and your peaceful expression," Effie says, tears slowly sliding down her face. "I bet he inherits your scowl too. He's so beautiful. I can't believe how perfect he is."

The doctor examines the image of the baby, and Haymitch asks "Is everything okay with him?"

"Your son's perfectly fine," the doctor reassures him. "He's a healthy baby in all respects."

"Good," Effie sniffs. "He's amazing. I didn't think we could make something so perfect. Look at that, Haymitch. This beautiful baby's  _ours_. He's our little boy."

Her words bring tears of joy to his eyes too, and he squeezes her hand gently. "I'd be worried if he was anyone else's, Princess. For one, that'd mean you were carrying someone else's baby, and for two, that'd mean we'd be having a lot more trouble with our marriage," he jokes, the effect ruined by the emotions swirling in his voice. "He  _is_ perfect, though."

She smiles, a true smile that lights up the air around her. "I can't believe him. He's  _so perfect_ ," she whispers adoringly.

Ten minutes later, they're walking out of the clinic for the Hob, and Haymitch asks "Want to go to the bakery first?"

"You can," she says softly. "I just want some new bras, maybe some leggings to accommodate our baby, and possibly some larger panties. I didn't anticipate pregnancy making everything bigger when I last went shopping."

"I'm not leaving you on your own around here," he scoffs, as if the idea should never have occurred to her. "You're not safe here unless you're with one of the kids or me."

"Fine," she sighs, and cuddles up to him. "But no complaining when I have to get measured for a new bra."

He rolls his eyes and follows her, and glares at the man who Effie asks to help her, certain she asked this guy to help  _just_ to get on his nerves. He glowers as the man measures her, and gives her a new bra size and dress size. Effie buys bras in every size up to four sizes larger than she actually needs, and proceeds to do the exact same thing with leggings and panties. Haymitch steps up behind her and asks "Do you really need to go four sizes up on  _everything_ , beautiful?"

"I've got sixteen weeks left of being pregnant, which means sixteen weeks worth of getting bigger. So, yes. I do feel the need to do this so that when I'm eight months pregnant, I don't have to wander the whole District to find a bra that fits while the one I'm wearing cuts off my milk supply," she says, leaning on him. "Now, cuddle me, I'm feeling a strong need to be cuddled."

He chuckles and wraps his arms around her, kissing the top of her head. "You know that this little baby is only tiny, right? He's never going to account for the need for leggings," he tells her.

"No, pregnancy hormones will," she says, glowering at her thighs. "It's meant to be my ankles that get huge, not my thighs and bottom. Below my knees, I look like I have toothpicks for legs, but above my knees, those toothpicks are holding elephant thighs, and from there up, I look like a child's drawing. Regular sized head, huge, wobbly circle of a body, and toothpick arms sticking out."

"What the hell do you see in that mirror?" he chuckles. "You need your eyes checked."

"Tell me I'm wrong. I'm huge all the way around, but my arms, and my legs below my knees, are just toothpicks," she scoffs.

Haymitch rolls his eyes and hugs her. "You're nothing like that. Yeah, okay, you've got a bit more chub, but that's  _fine_. Normal, even. You don't look bad. You look little and squishy. You're  _hot_. You don't look like some funhouse mirror reflection, sweetheart," he tells her quietly, as if he doesn't want to be heard. "You're beautiful."

She cuddles up to him and whispers "I know you find me attractive, darling. I appreciate you telling me that. I'm going to complain a lot about losing the shape I've tried so hard to maintain, but I honestly won't mind as much when I have this little sweetie to cuddle when we cuddle."

He chuckles and says "Buy your stuff, sweetheart, we're going to buy cupcakes."

She does as she's told, but hovers at the entry to the bakery. "You go in," she whispers uncomfortably.

"What's up?" he asks, picking up on it immediately. "Does something about the bakery trigger you?"

"No, I just... The smell of baked goods, such as cakes and bread, in such large quantities makes me feel all queasy," she whispers, blushing. "I don't mind in small doses, like when Peeta gives us our bread and things in the mornings, but I mind when it's a whole room full of it."

"Okay," he says, then kisses her. "If anyone so much as looks at you funny, come inside."

"I will," she whispers. He enters the bakery, and just two minutes later, a small boy tugs on her sleeve. She looks down and kneels in front of him. "Hello, dear. Have you lost your mommy?"

"No, Mommy inside," he says, smiling innocently at her. "What's name?"

"I'm Effie," she says quietly, a sudden bout of shame washing over her for admitting who she is to this little child, who can't be older than three. "What's your name?"

"Kudzu," he replies, studying her. "You pretty, Miss Effie."

"Aw, thank you, sweetie," she coos, adoring him already. "How old are you, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Tree," he says, holding up four fingers. Effie gently lowers one of his fingers with a small smile. "I is tree. How old is you?"

"I am twenty eight," Effie tells him, and grins. "I don't have enough fingers to show you how many that is."

He holds up his hands and asks "Two?"

"Two lots of ten, yes, and eight more besides," she says, holding up eight fingers. "So two lots of ten, which makes twenty. And eight more makes twenty eight."

"Wow," he says, clearly amazed. "You're  _really_ clever."

"You're really clever too," she tells him, a warm smile spreading across her face. "You can understand the two times table, that's very impressive."

He lights up, and the door opens, The mother comes out and asks "Kudzu? Who's your friend?"

"This Effie," Kudzu says proudly, hugging her out of nowhere. "She smart, and she say I smart too!"

"Effie?" Haymitch asks, looking down at her. "What have you gone and started now?"

"She's started nothing, Mr Abernathy," the mother says, smiling. "As a matter of fact, she's boosted my son's confidence."

"Huh?" Haymitch asks, confused. "Who even are you?" 

"My name's Shimmer Littlebloom," she chuckles. "That's my son, Kudzu. He's been struggling with adding up lately, and he's really taken a confidence hit. Your girlfriend has really given him a boost by telling him he's smart."

"He  _is_ ," Effie says. "He understood that two lots of ten makes twenty, and I definitely didn't teach him that. He's a very smart boy."

Kudzu beams up at his mother, and Haymitch chuckles. "Well, first off, she's my wife. Second, your kid seems like a really bright boy, so I'm not really that surprised that he's being called clever. And third, that pretty girl there needs feeding. Come on, beautiful, up you get," he says, extending a hand to her.

"I'm hugging," she says, smiling. "Hugs first, foods later."

Kudzu hugs her for a short while longer, then breaks away to cling to his mother. "Did you buy cookie?" he asks hopefully.

"Yeah, I did," Shimmer says, grinning. "And because you were clever today, I'll buy you that new ball you wanted."

He lets out a joyful squeal as Haymitch helps Effie to her feet. They say their goodbyes, and Haymitch hands Effie a cheese and bacon pastry. "Here. I figured you'd be hungry. I also bought soda, the boy's been having it imported from the Capitol," he says.

"I love the fact that you buy me food and soda," she coos, kissing his cheek before she digs in, too hungry to care about her manners for once.

Haymitch just chuckles and watches her eat, a flood of love filling him, although he definitely  _won't_ admit as much to anyone else. "All right, eat up, you still have ginger cookies and cake to eat yet," he mutters awkwardly.

They walk back to the Village in companionable silence, and Haymitch warms up two portions of cream of vegetable soup for him and Effie, revealing cheese buns to go with it, while she sips on her soda. "Honey?" Effie asks quietly.

"What's up?" he asks, turning to look at her.

"Do you want the baby's birth filmed?" she asks. "So that we have a permanent memory of it?"

"Sure, but only if you're okay with it," he says. "It's your privates on film."

She giggles and smiles as he places a bowl and a plate in front of her with a kiss on her forehead. "I'm okay with it," she whispers. "Our little man should get a permanent memory of his birth. By the way, I think he needs a name, I don't want to still be referring to him as Baby when he's born, and I want them to be able to register him as soon as he's born."

"Okay. Are you still on for Zachariah, or do you have any other ideas?" he asks, taking a bite of a cheese bun.

"I like Zachariah," she says slowly. "But I want to give him a middle name. I like Rowan as a middle name. I'm sure he would have loved to have a nephew."

Haymitch swallows, grateful for the bread to help him get rid of the sudden lump in his throat. "Okay," he says. "Zachariah Rowan Abernathy. Not the worst thing I've ever heard of."

Effie nods. "I thought that," she murmurs. "I was considering your name as his middle name, but I didn't think you'd like that."

"Nope," he chuckles. "Absolutely  _not_ , Princess. Rowan is great. He'd have been thicker than a thief with our boy, so I'm okay with that. Had it been the first name, I'd fight you."

"No, I'm not cruel," she chuckles, a little sadly. "I think Zachariah's nice. It means  _remembrance of the Lord_ , which was to do with an ancient, widespread faith they called religion, and this  _Lord_ was meant to be of love and light, and look out for the people and animals of earth. I would like to think something like that was watching over our little boy."

Haymitch grins. "That's cute," he says. "I don't hold much with that stuff, it's past and we're now, but it's nice to think of that."

"I thought so," she chuckles. "I like the idea of there being a comfort to our loved ones when they passed. It helps when I'm sad."

He watches her blush, and smiles slightly when he's filled with love for her all over again. "After this, are you going for a nap?" he asks, neatly changing the topic.

"Absolutely," she replies, adapting to the topic easily. "I'm shattered. I'm getting into that bed after I've eaten, and I'm sleeping for the next two months."

"I'll have to change the sheets around you," he chuckles. They eat their soup and bread peacefully, and as soon as she's done eating, Effie takes off her bra and flings it at the laundry hamper. "Is this bedtime for you?"

"Yes," she giggles. "Bed and I have really missed each other. If you want to have a bit of fun with me, come get me in about two hours."

He chuckles and gets up, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Go get in bed, you gorgeous little thing," he tells her, gathering the dishes. "I've got these."

"I love you," she whispers, and kisses his nose before she bolts off upstairs for a nap. Haymitch washes the dishes, smiling to himself, and decides that if he can make her smile at least once a day, he can sleep at night knowing that he's still able to make her happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's today's chapter. I hope it didn't bore you. I'm in the process of the next one, and it's looking promising. For updates on progress, follow me on Twitter (@BlackCatS46). 
> 
> Much love and happiness to you all. I'll see you next week. Cat xxx


	33. Going on a Vacation - The Abernathy Way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Effie's decided that November would be better spent if she and Haymitch take a vacation. In the woods. In District Seven.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I missed four update days, and for once, I have a legitimate reason. I sat on my laptop screen. Yes, it was stupid, but it happened. I cracked the screen. I have never cried so hard, and the panic was real. Anyway, I had literally three lines of this chapter written, and no screen, so I couldn't see anything. I have gone over a month without a laptop. I borrowed my parents' laptop, and literally three days into having it, the charger fried, and that laptop relies on constant charging. Well, now look who's back! I now have my little Asus, and nothing is ever allowed to happen to it. Like, ever.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you're all well, and that you enjoy this chapter.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games, its characters, or its world. All rights go to Suzanne Collins, and I am not Suzanne. I just like playing around with her characters.

Effie happily bounces into the living room with her tablet, and squeaks "We need to plan for Christmas."

"Christmas is next month," Haymitch says, looking up from his book. "Why are we planning now?" 

"Because, darling, we have a large family and a lot of stuff to buy," she says. 

"Seriously?" he groans, and rolls his eyes at her eager nod. "Fine, fine. What are your plans, little stuff?"

"Well, my first plan is a vacation!" she squeals. "I've got us a  _gorgeous_ little holiday cabin in the woods of Seven, and it's perfect. Just you, me, and a heap of hot, steamy sex to thaw out the windows."

"When did you say we were going on this vacation?" he scoffs.

"Tomorrow," she tells him, a grin on her face. 

"Sweetheart, I hate to remind you, but you're fifteen weeks away from pushing that little guy out. I don't know how safe it is to have loads of sex," he tells her, a pained look on his face.

"Haymitch, fifteen weeks is over three months. Sex will not trigger labour. He's staying right there," she sighs, rubbing her stomach. "Besides, it's not like we've not done it since I got huge."

"You're not huge," he sighs, annoyed at the mention of it. She's complained all week about it. "I've seen women get bigger."

"I'm twenty five weeks along, yes, I am huge," she huffs. "I noticed it a few days ago, I've gone from not looking  _that_ pregnant to  _heavily pregnant elephant_ in less than a day."

"Sweetheart, you look fine. Besides, you're still smaller than you will be when the baby's due," he chuckles, then gets up to give her a kiss. She purses her lips, and he hugs her close. "Look, no matter how big our son makes you, you're still beautiful. You're growing a miracle, and you're not exactly hard on the eyes anyway."

She giggles and cuddles closer to him. "Okay. But we're having this vacation, sex or no sex. According to Jo, there's this beautiful lake deep in those woods, and we can relax there for hours. I think it'll be lovely, a really nice walk," she tells him. "And Baby will appreciate us walking some, he needs me to exercise a bit."

"I hate you, you make me move," he grumbles playfully, then kisses her head. "Fine. We can go for a vacation, but I expect to get at least six cuddles a day."

"I can give you up to twelve," she offers, grinning.

"Two hours per cuddle," he says. "And they all have to be in bed."

Her brain whirs, and she groans. "I am not spending our whole vacation in bed!" she giggles. 

"Aww, I was hoping you weren't smart enough to do that," he groans, then squeezes her gently. "I knew you were too smart for me."

"I have two brains in my body," she tells him, smirking. "He's making me twice as smart."

He laughs, but soon remembers why he's laughing in the first place. "So... Do we need a vacation?" he asks.

"Yes," she says. "We need at least one vacation that's not a honeymoon, and completely uninterrupted by our kids. All of them. Jo and Annie included."

Haymitch rolls his eyes. "Will it make you happy?" he asks flatly.

Effie grins up at him. "Yes, it will," she replies. She gives him the smile he often calls the  _cute smile_ , scrunching her eyes and nose up, puffing her cheeks out a bit, and smiling. "Are we going?"

"I hate when you do that," he groans. "I really hope he doesn't learn that trick. We're going, but you'd better not do your tricky little grin thing on me while we're there. Our kids won't be there to pop in unannounced and save you from being pushed onto the dining table."

"If that's my punishment, the cuteness is coming out a lot more," she giggles, looping her arms around his neck. "Now, you, I think you deserve a treat."

"Really?" he asks, lifting an eyebrow. "All I did was say yes to a vacation you knew you were dragging me on regardless."

"I meant for existing," she says, smiling properly. 

As she starts to lift his t-shirt off, the front door bangs open, and Willow's wailing fills the house. "See what I mean about you being saved?" Haymitch mutters, kissing her nose.

"I  _will_ get to treat you," she murmurs. "I will. Whether these kids like it or not."

Peeta staggers in, looking dead on his feet, and holds Willow out. "Will one of you take her? She won't shut up for us," he mumbles.

Haymitch takes Willow, and he and Effie watch as the young man just flops onto their sofa to fall asleep. Effie sighs and puts a throw over him, then looks at Haymitch. "When did we have overgrown toddlers?" she asks.

"About four years ago," he chuckles, then looks at Willow, who's still whimpering. "Okay, Madam, tell me why you're aggravating your parents. When your parents get tired, they come bother your grandma and me. I get that you like seeing us, but guy to baby here, I like seeing Grandma too."

"Haymitch!" Effie hisses. "Willow, Grandpa and I love having you here. We just want you to not exhaust your parents entirely."

"She's a baby, Princess, she won't understand us yet," Haymitch chuckles, then returns his attention to the baby, who's now watching her surrogate grandfather with rapt attention. "So, Mini-Kat, what do you say? Going to behave for Mommy and Daddy?"

Willow blinks and coos at him, and Effie grins at her. "Oh, you are a good baby, Willow. I can only hope our baby is as well behaved for us as she is," she coos. "Can I get a little snuggle with her soon?"

Haymitch grins and hands the baby over. "Go on, get your baby cuddling stuff out," he says, kissing his wife's forehead. "I'll start packing. What sort of underwear do you want?"

"I'm thinking a few things you think I'll still look good in, some of those nice elastic things that just cover my stomach up and make me feel all comfy, and the bras that are at least a cup size up. You pick the stuff you want me to wear for you, the comfies are my choices," she says. "And leggings. A lot of leggings. Everything else, I trust you to choose, as long as you don't make me look ugly or boxy."

He rolls his eyes and says "You have designer maternity clothes, sweetheart. You're not going to look boxy in anything."

"What about ugly?" she fires back, a teasing grin on her face.

"Nah, you're too pretty to be ugly," he chuckles, then wanders off upstairs while Effie charms Willow. He's gone for a solid three hours, then he comes downstairs, holding two different bras, both a soft pastel shade of lavender, and holds them up to show Effie. "One's an E, one's an F, which do you think you'll need?"

She smiles at him and says "Probably the E, I'm definitely not an F yet, my love."

He nods, then shows her two very lacy and almost completely see-through tank tops. "Which one?" he asks. "Blue or gold?"

Effie grins and asks "Well, if these are what you want me to wear for you, I'd say you pick. I'm up for both. What do you think?"

"Both, easily," he chuckles. "You look good in both of these."

"There's not much to look good in, I'll be almost totally naked before you've had the chance to undress me," Effie chuckles.

"Oh, gross," Peeta mumbles, rolling over. "Too much information again, Mom."

"You're asleep, hush," Effie chuckles fondly, then glances at Willow. "So's Willow, actually. And our baby boy."

Haymitch's face softens into a small, warm, genuine smile. "You've got the touch, Princess," he tells her. "Kids just  _have_ to relax around you."

She grins, and gets up from her chair, struggling a little, but she manages before Haymitch can offer her help. She lets him take Willow and whispers "You hold this, Mama needs the toilet."

He grins and holds her back for a minute. "Wait," he whispers, then kisses her nose. "Okay, now go."

She laughs, then waddles off, which just amuses Haymitch. He sits down in her vacated seat and cradles Willow's tiny body. "I'll never understand babies," he tells her quietly, in perfect knowledge that she can't hear him. "You're so tiny, and helpless, and you scream the place down, but for some reason, you make everyone you meet love you. It's weird."

Katniss stumbles in and asks "Where's my baby?" It's pretty clear to Haymitch from her voice that she's only just waking up. She strokes Peeta's hair before spotting Willow. "Oh, she's there. Okay."

She lies down on the sofa, right across Peeta, and falls asleep. Haymitch just chuckles and watches for a minute as the toilet flushes from down the hall. Effie waddles back in, a pained grimace on her face and a hand supporting her stomach. Haymitch looks up at her, and the minute she registers concern on his face, she wipes her own clean of emotion, replacing the pain with a warm smile. "How are you?" she asks quietly, glancing at the sofa and smiling when she sees Katniss lay across Peeta's lap, both of them asleep. "Is everything okay? Has Willow been good?"

"Yeah, yeah," he says, then stands up. "Sit back down, beautiful. How are you feeling? What's hurting?"

"Just my hips," she sighs, hugging him. "Nothing sitting with you and cuddling won't help. Our son's just big."

"Not like his father, then," Katniss mumbles sleepily.

"Can I give her back to her mom?" Haymitch asks, sounding deeply offended.

"Honey, she's messing with you," Effie sighs, then raises her voice a little. "Besides, we all know you're  _extremely_ well endowed. Don't take offence, she's not the one you're pleasing with it."

"And there goes my sex drive," Haymitch groans. "I'm  _never_ going to recover from that."

"Then I'll do the things I know you love to distract you," she purrs, cuddling up to him. "Now, sit with me, I want to sit down, and you need to be snuggled."

He grins and sits her down, then squashes up next to her, wrapping his Willow-free arm around her shoulders. "Hey, you want to know what really amazes me?" he asks, kissing the top of her head.

"Yes," she whispers, then giggles. "Is this a comment on my size?"

"Yeah," he chuckles. "It amazes me how normal sized you look stood next to Katniss, but then I get hold of you, or Peeta hugs you, and you just look unbelievably tiny. You and that girl there are tiny, and it's scary how tiny you are."

"Then it's a good job I have you," she giggles. "I have your squishiness to shield me from sunlight and to cuddle me in bed. And get me that pickle jar that my short arms can't reach..."

"You're having cravings?" he asks, grinning a bit. "Do I have to get up and randomly feed you?"

"My cravings are revolting, and I'm very tempted to not eat those things because of their yuck factor," she says grimly. "Our little nugget is going to be a weird baby."

"He's got us as parents, beautiful, he wasn't destined for anything shy of off the scale weirdness," he says, then glances down at her stomach. "Is he still giving you a hard time?"

"Only when he decides to pass gas. It really hurts when he does that," she hums, cuddling up to him. "I honestly didn't think we would get to have him, so I don't want to complain too much about suffering, because I really don't want anything to happen to him, like he's born early, or the cord around his throat, or he gets sick-"

"Hey, stop. He'll be fine, sweetheart, even if you whine every so often about all the agony," he tells her, kissing her head. "Katniss whined throughout her whole pregnancy, and not just because of the pain of growing a human."

"But Katniss knew Willow would be okay. Katniss is younger than I am, and she had no trouble getting pregnant or staying pregnant. I had all that and more besides. And I'm not exactly in my  _early_ twenties, am I? I'm almost thirty. My body won't be as resilient as hers. I might not even  _have_ more babies. I'll do everything in my power to make sure our boy's safe, but I can't guarantee that I'll have him as easily as Katniss had Willow. I'm not even having a similar pregnancy to hers. I'm not as sure of our baby's security inside me as she was with hers," Effie whispers, clinging to him. "I won't  _ever_ let anything happen to him, not in a million years, but I'm so scared of my womb failing him, or the birth going wrong, or him starving or suffocating because the placenta fails him. It's not really being kicked in the lungs all night that keeps me up, although it doesn't really help. I have to live through every thing that could go wrong all night, every night. It's horrible, squishy, and it's even replaced my nightmares. The cells have no effect on me any more, it's all him."

He kisses her, then strokes her hair. "Beautiful, between you, the doctors, the midwife, and me, this kid's never going to be harmed or dead. You're not wrong to worry, but you're definitely paranoid," he tells her gently. "Not a bad thing, mind, it's normal stuff. It's all possible, and it's all scary. If you want to be any use to him, you need to remember that it could all go well, and you'll be just fine, he'll be fine, and you'll come home with him, both in perfect health. There's not only negative outcomes."

She nods and touches Willow's little foot. "I suppose you're right," she whispers. "I want things to go well. I can't... I hate the idea of delivering him only to lose him within the day, and having to tell people that we lost our son."

Her hand flutters to her stomach, and a look of calm flits over her face. "Is he kicking you?" Haymitch asks softly.

"Yes," she whispers. "I think the change in my heart rate is worrying him. It's like he knows when I'm panicking."

"Then you need to stop panicking," he tells her, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "He's already understanding that Mommy's panic isn't something to take lightly, and he's going to grow up worried about you."

"Effie, kitchen," Peeta says sleepily, moving Katniss off his lap. "Don't worry, I'll give her back."

He helps her up and takes her to the kitchen. Haymitch tries to listen in, but the words are too quiet for him to get more than a few whispers, none of which make any kind of sense to him. He just shrugs it off, and waits until Katniss wakes. Willow wakes up minutes before her mother, and whines softly, kicking her feet in a sign of fussing that everyone in the family has quickly become familiar with. "Okay, lady, chill," he chuckles, and waits. Katniss wakes up and Haymitch whispers "Hey, sleepyhead, your daughter's hungry. Princess changed her diaper, but now she needs to eat."

Katniss nods and takes Willow out of his arms and settles her down, ready for a feed. "Where are Peeta and Effie?" she asks quietly, helping Willow latch on, then reaching up to rub her eye.

"Kitchen," Haymitch says. "Princess was getting herself all worked up."

"Oh," Katniss mutters, then looks down at Willow. "How's she coping with not sleeping?"

"Not well," Haymitch snorts. "That woman's a nightmare. I'm not mad about it, but she's got really wriggly since the baby started to kick her a lot, and she's either winded or has heartburn."

"Ugh," Katniss groans. "That poor thing. Your kid's got a gas issue. Just give her those tablets I took, she'll love them. And out of curiosity that I'm going to regret, why is Effie's lingerie on the chair?"

"Packing," Haymitch says. "She's decided we need a week away in Seven. That is, her and me."

"Fair enough. Any cell reception?" she asks.

"No," Haymitch says. "You three'll have to work without us for a bit."

"I've been doing that since I was eleven," Katniss scoffs. "I'm just asking because of Madam here."

"No cell reception," Haymitch shrugs. "Princess will find some way to help you."

"Princess is crying in the kitchen," Peeta sighs. "She heard you calling her a nightmare, and I can't console her."

Haymitch groans and gets up, almost running to the kitchen. He finds Effie crying on the kitchen floor, and kneels beside her. "Hey," he whispers.

She hugs him tightly and whimpers "Haymitch, I feel really sick. I just told Peeta that I'm sad because of you calling me a nightmare, but I need you. I can feel reality slipping."

He gathers her into his arms and holds her tightly. "It's going to be okay," he murmurs. "Get my shirt and cover your mouth and nose with it, try to breathe deeply."

She does just that, allowing him to hold her close. He pets her and she whimpers "He's kicking me..."

"Focus on that. What do his kicks mean, sweetheart?" he asks softly. 

"He's alive. He's well. He's strong," she gasps, breathing deeply.

"That's right. He's alive, strong, and well. He's enjoying kicking about in there. He loves his mama. You're his world. Without your calm, sweet presence, he wouldn't be here. He needs his mama to breathe so that he can breathe," he murmurs quietly. "Breathe for him, okay?"

She does, clinging to him, and whispers "I am home. I am cuddled up to my husband on our kitchen floor. I am twenty five weeks pregnant with our baby boy. My kids and their daughter are in my living room. We are safe."

"That's right, beautiful," he murmurs. "You're doing great."

She snuggles up to him and closes her eyes. "I am safe," she whispers. "I need to finish packing."

"Yeah," he chuckles. "When do we set off?" 

"Tomorrow," she whispers. "The very crackle of dawn."

"Got you," he murmurs. "We'd better get our stuff sorted out."

They remain on the floor for a few more minutes, and Peeta comes in, Katniss a few steps behind him, Willow peacefully cooing in her arms. "We're going to head home if everything's okay with you two now," Katniss says. "Get Madam in her cradle for the night."

"Okay," Haymitch says. "Princess is calmer now."

Effie makes a quiet sound and presses her nose against his shoulder. "I'm being loved, all is well," she murmurs. 

"Okay. Then goodnight, and we fully expect at least a call when you're arriving in Seven," Peeta says. "Be nice to her, and you be nice to him. Remember, you're coming back to us next week."

"We know, kid, we don't need parenting," Haymitch chuckles. "And remember, if the little one won't settle, bouncing her and humming to her helps. Effie's tried and proven method of dealing with her."

Katniss chuckles, and says "Thanks. Enjoy your vacation. And there's such a thing as getting pregnant  _while_ pregnant, so please don't bring her back with more little Abernathy babies, we don't know how many of you this world can take."

"Trust me, it was hard enough getting this one," Effie says. "I'm not about to get  _extra_ pregnant. One little one at a time for me."

They walk the younger couple to the door, and once alone, Haymitch asks "Shall we finish packing?"

"Yes," she whispers. "Then I'm giving you that promised treat. And after that, I'm taking a nap. I want a nap before dinner, and one after, then shower, then  _bed_."

"So you plan to sleep a lot today," he chuckles, pressing a kiss to her nose. "Fine. Hey, how did you manage to book us a cabin in Seven for tomorrow?"

"I paid a little extra to have my own way," she says. "I decided, and they had to comply."

He rolls his eyes and pets her. "I think I spoil you too much," he chuckles fondly, cupping her cheek. 

"Yes. Now help me pack," she giggles. "I'll be more willing to do things if you do."

"You're a nightmare," he tells her, then scoops her up. "You instruct me, I'll pack, you just lie down and look cute."

She smiles and lets him carry her up to their room. "I'm very tired, I might fall asleep," she warns him.

"If you do, I'll kiss you, cover you up, and be quiet," he replies, petting her. "Come on, we have a vacation to start."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooo, it feels good to be back! I hope you liked this. If you did, please drop me a line to let me know what you thought. It's extraordinarily hard to type on this computer as the keypad's all weird to me, but by chapter 43, I should be used to it!! 
> 
> Hope you've all had a good couple of weeks, and please feel free to vent to me if not. I'm always here for you. Much love and happiness to you all. Cat xxx


	34. Cabin in the Woods

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haymitch and Effie arrive at their cabin, and after the hike through the woods, Haymitch and Effie are finally sharing their opinion of the best first activity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, all. Look at this! An upload on time! I honestly didn't believe it'd happen again because of how out of the swing I got, but we're back on track! I've gone ahead the past few days and written up the next few chapters, and the one currently in progress... Well, put it this way, you'll want to be there for it.
> 
> Anyway, enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games, its characters, or its world. All rights go to Suzanne Collins, and I am not Suzanne. I just like playing around with her characters.

"Squishy, I'm tired," Effie whines, grabbing a tree to steady herself. "I need a break."

"Princess, we've literally taken five steps from the last break," he chuckles, but stops anyway. "Are you sure you don't want me to carry you?"

"I'm scared of heights," she whines. "Please can we just stop for a minute? I've got pain shooting through my hips, and our baby is trying to kick my lungs out of my throat."

He gets out the little camping chair and unfolds it. "Sit on that," he says, grabbing her hands. She obediently sits down, sighing at the relief. "Beautiful, are you absolutely certain you don't want me to carry you?"

"I'm certain," she sighs, pulling her water bottle out of her bag. She uncaps it and takes a sip. "Oh, that's good."

"You're having hip pains, I'm not sure you should walk more than necessary," Haymitch murmurs, cupping her cheek. "Don't suffer for nothing, you know I can carry you and the bags."

"Sweetie, since Baby got bigger, I've gained weight. I'm not a feather any more. I'll rest a minute, then we can go walking again," she says, and leans in to kiss him. "I appreciate the offer, though."

He grins, then shakes his head, looking down to her hands. "What am I going to do with you, huh?" he asks softly. "You're as stubborn as they come, even when you're hurting."

"Don't act innocent, darling, you do exactly the same thing to me," she chuckles quietly, then reaches out to touch his arm. "Look, if I really need it, I'll put my fears of breaking your back aside. But unless I split my hips completely, I think I can handle it. I've suffered worse than this and still managed to walk."

"You're insane," he chuckles, lifting his head to kiss her cheek. "Literally off your rocker."

"That's what made you attracted to me," she giggles. "My crazy got your attention, my body got your attraction, and my cardboard personality got us married."

He rolls his eyes and says "I don't know what kind of personality you think you've got, but cardboard isn't the way to describe it, sweetheart."

She smiles, then leans in to kiss him properly. "What do you say to us walking a little more?" she whispers. "The quicker we get to the cabin, the more time we have to make use of that big, warm bed we have waiting for us."

He laughs and asks "Are you talking about having sex or a nap, beautiful?"

"If I'm not too exhausted, both," she whispers. "If I am, still both."

"So if you're not too tired, sex then nap?" he asks, grinning at her.

"Exactly. I'm glad you speak fluent Effie now," she giggles, a soft, rosy blush tinting her cheeks. "Do you feel rested enough to walk?"

"Yeah, I'm not the one who needed to stop," he says, then places his hand on her stomach gently, smirking a little as their baby kicks his hand. "Do you feel ready to walk more, sweetheart? It's not good for him if you don't rest until you're ready to move."

"I'm ready," she says quietly. "He'll be fine, he's having a nice little kick in there."

He helps her up, then picks up their bags and her chair. "Come on, then," he says, kissing her forehead. "Big naps await you."

She laughs, and walks alongside him for a while, only having to stop to gasp for a minute every so often. Eventually, the wooden cabin looms up in front of them, and Effie sighs happily. "There's a bed in there," she whispers dreamily, fishing out the keys the owner had given them. "I'm ready for this."

Haymitch laughs at her, and as soon as the door's open, she helps him bring their bags in. "You don't have to help me," he tells her, watching her face for signs of pain. "Go and get yourself ready for bed, you deserve a nap."

She rolls her eyes and helps anyway, then takes out her hand cream from her handbag. "Hands," she orders, and he accepts the cream wearily, knowing that she'll fight him if he doesn't. She massages his hands gently, taking care to ease the cramp in his hands. "You could have let me carry some of the bags, you know."

"Not a chance," he scoffs. "You were in enough pain carrying your weight and the baby's. I wasn't sure about letting you carry that damn handbag of yours."

"Honey, I'm pregnant, not incapable," she says fondly, kissing his forehead as she massages his hands. "I don't like seeing you suffering, either."

"I'm not the one with a human living inside one of my internal organs," he argues. "A few bags is nothing in comparison."

"You're sweet," she giggles. For a few minutes, they're silent, and she finishes massaging his hands. "Okay. Now I'll go and strip that bed, check for bugs, and once it's remade-"

"You'll strip yourself, get in, and be out like a light within five seconds of your head touching the pillow," he finishes teasingly. "You stay here, I'll check the bed."

He leaves before she can protest, and returns to find her clothes in a heap, and her curled up on the sofa, fast asleep. He laughs under his breath, and scoops her up. He carries her to the bedroom and lies her down in the freshly remade bed, presses a kiss to her head, and goes back to the living room to read while she sleeps.

* * *

The first thing he notices is his book on the arm rest of the sofa, neatly placed without a bookmark. The sky has darkened a lot, it's late, and there's a small weight on his lap, a blanket around him, and blonde curls tickling his nose. He quickly realises that he fell asleep, and at some point, Effie woke and wanted him. The pang of guilt is soon replaced with a fuzzy feeling flowing through his veins that he'd deny until his dying day if anyone found out at the idea of her coming to get him and, instead of waking him up and making him move, she'd got their duvet and cuddled up with him on the sofa so that he could rest undisturbed. He squeezes her gently, then pets her hair. She purrs quietly and looks up at him. "I was wondering when you were going to wake up," she whispers, nuzzling his chest. 

"How come you didn't wake me, beautiful?" he asks softly, his voice thick with sleep and a dry mouth.

"You seemed like you were enjoying your nap, so I figured I might as well get some cuddling done," she says, pressing her nose to his chest. "I thought it'd be nice to share body heat, it's cold in here, and you didn't have a duvet."

"You're adorable," he chuckles. "And quiet. Sometimes I think I need to put a bell on your pretty neck."

"Mm, but how would I sneak in for cuddles if I was jingling all the time?" she asks, snuggling him. "Shall I get you a drink?"

"Don't trouble yourself," he says, kissing her nose. "I'll get the drinks, you've done plenty."

She pouts and murmurs "But I want to do things for you."

"I know, beautiful," he whispers. "I just don't want you to hurt yourself. The walk here was enough walking around. Just rest, okay? Just for my peace of mind if nothing else."

He kisses her head, then her pouting lips. "Will it really keep your mind at ease?" she asks sulkily.

"Yeah," he murmurs. "It will."

"Fine. But I want to go back to my regularly scheduled running about as soon as possible," she mumbles, then stretches her legs. Haymitch takes full advantage of that to put her on the sofa cushions. She squeaks at the sudden movement, and he puts her down gently. "Don't pick me up without warning, I might have wet myself!"

"I'd have laughed at you," he chuckles, then kisses her nose. "I won't pick you up without warning again."

She nods, and he gets up. "Do you want sex after we've had a drink?" she asks hopefully.

"Sweetheart, the day I say no to you, you'll either be too heavily pregnant, or I'm dead," he chuckles. "What do you want to drink?"

"Tea, please," she murmurs, then groans softly. "Listen up, small fry, we both need my lungs right now. Try  _not_ to kick them out of me."

Haymitch sighs and kneels down in front of her. "Hey, little man? Hey. Are you kicking Mama?" he asks gently, placing his hand on Effie's stomach, immediately feeling the baby's limbs flailing. "Okay. Try to aim away from her vitals, okay? Lungs, intestines, bladder, and her heart. Can you try kicking toward my hands?"

Effie smiles slightly, and says "My lungs feel a lot better when he's not kicking them."

Haymitch laughs, then presses a kiss to her stomach. "That's the idea, handsome," he tells their baby. "Keep kicking where Daddy's hands were. I'm going to make Mommy a drink, you keep kicking there."

Effie places her hand where Haymitch's was, and a peaceful smile stretches over her face. "Aw," she whispers happily. "He's all kicky."

"That's the idea," Haymitch says, filling the kettle and setting it on the stove. "He's going to be a mama's boy, just like Peeta."

"There's nothing wrong with that," she giggles. "It just means that he loves his mama."

He grins, then sits back down with her. "How are you feeling? Not just physically, but I wouldn't mind knowing that too," he murmurs, stroking her hair.

She leans her head on his shoulder. "I'm fine, physically. I feel a little bit useless, but I feel like I could still be some use in the bedroom department," she whispers, cuddling up to him.

"Why do you feel useless, beautiful?" he asks, hugging her tightly, worry starting to wrap its arms around him.

"I just do," she murmurs. "It's nothing really, just me being an emotional heap."

"Do you know what's causing it?" he asks, kissing her head as worry tightens its grip on him.

She snuggles up to him and whispers "I think it's just hormones, honestly. I think it might also be that I can't even stand up without assistance, and walking just makes my hips and back ache. It's nothing to worry about, I'm not going to do anything stupid. I might cry a bit, but nothing worse."

He pets her and says "It's not you being useless, beautiful. You're doing a job that nobody can do. You're making our baby, and that's hard work. It's not useless."

She nods and cuddles closer to him. After a few minutes of silence, she whispers "I can't believe how far we've come from the celebrations... You mocking me when I confessed things like this. It's amazing."

"Yeah, it is," he chuckles. "I sometimes wonder if you gave me a love potion."

"I'm not a witch," she giggles. "Just naturally charming. And I was in love with you long before you even knew I existed, so I was determined to have you love me."

He laughs, and she laughs with him, the sound of his true, deep laugh encouraging her a little. "You've always been funny," he chokes out. "That's one thing you've always had going for you. Your behind was another."

"You  _do_ have a thing for my bottom," she agrees, giggling. "That's what you first liked most about me, I think. You were always staring, and that was before you started laughing at stuff I said instead of my existence."

He laughs a bit more, then gets up to finish making their drinks. He brings her a mug of tea, then gets his own drink. "I think you're right, beautiful," he says, kissing her head gently. "Still, I like it even more now. You don't threaten to castrate me every time I grab it now."

"Only a few times," she says sagely, smiling into her mug. "I won't protest you doing that to me now, though."

"Not now," he says, stretching. "That nap has made me want to go to bed for the night."

"Thank goodness," she sighs. "I was hoping for that."

"Who knew that  _this_ would be the one thing we agree on?" he chuckles. She leans up and kisses his cheek, then snuggles back down. They finish their drinks, and he carries her to their room. "Here we go, beautiful, time for a long night of sleep."

"About time," she sighs, and snuggles up on the bed. "Duvet?"

He runs to the living room and gets their duvet, then covers her with it. He undresses, and climbs in next to her. He offers his arm and asks "Cuddling?"

"I'll never say no to a cuddle with you," she whispers, snuggling up to him and resting her arm over his chest. "Sleep well."

He lies awake for a while, watching her sleep, and adoringly strokes her cheek. More for him to deny later. He falls asleep without even noticing it, warm in Effie's embrace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, they get to be alone! I have plans for these two now that nobody can bother them. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this, and if you have anything you'd like to say, whether thoughts, theories, constructive criticism, or questions, please leave it in the comments below. I'm also accepting any requests for outtakes that focus on any of the characters in the series, not just Hayffie, in my Always a Team - Outtakes. 
> 
> Until next week, much love and happiness to you all. Cat xxx


	35. Wander Through the Woods

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haymitch reluctantly agrees to walk through the woods with Effie, as long as she promises not to take on more than she knows she can handle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everyone! Get this! An on time update! I'm literally crying, I can't believe it's happened. Anyway, I figure now's an appropriate time to warn you: There's smut in the first part of this, so you know the drill if you don't fancy reading that, and there's a lot of angst further down. Just so that you're warned. Now, with that said, enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games, its characters, or its world. All rights go to Suzanne Collins, and I am not Suzanne. I just like playing around with her characters.

The feeling of soft lips pressing against his lower stomach wakes Haymitch up from his particularly restful sleep, and he blinks a little to clear his eyes of sleep before he looks up to see his wife lying between his legs, kissing him tenderly. "Well, morning to you too, beautiful," he chuckles sleepily, then strokes her hair. "What's got me this treat?"

She grins and says "You were just lying there, being all gorgeous and tempting, I just  _had_ to see how long it'd take before you woke up."

"Don't let me being awake stop you," he jokes, and freezes at the dark smile that stretches her lips. "Wow, I wasn't serious. Well, not entirely."

She smirks and says "I am," then drops her head.

**(!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!)**

She slowly wraps her lips around his tip, intent on teasing him a little. He groans softly and props himself on his elbows to watch her. For the moment, she's busy focusing her attention on her mission. She flicks her tongue over his slit, then opens her mouth a little and lowers her head, taking more into her mouth. He groans quietly as she deftly licks at him, and sucks gently before lifting her head up and letting him slide from her lips. He winces in protest at the cold, but the cool air is gone before he can say anything, replaced by her lowering her head again, taking in a little more this time. He groans as his hips jerk up, forcing another two inches into her mouth. She chokes a little as she adjusts herself, but takes it in stride. She takes him out of her mouth again to lick the vein along his length, her deft fingers sliding up to his sack, gently rubbing and squeezing. She looks up at him and smiles. Keeping her eyes on his, she takes his whole length into her mouth at once and sucks gently. He groans as she licks him, her fingers still massaging his sack, and he tangles his fingers in her hair. "Princess," he groans softly.

She smirks a little and hums quietly in appreciation, then pulls her head up, scraping his sensitive skin with her teeth until she reaches his tip, then slowly lowers her head again, hollowing her cheeks as she sucks him again. She keeps going, repeating the same motion until she feels him tighten up under her hand. She lifts her head and smiles at him, then whispers "Come on, sweetie."

She lowers her head again, and slowly licks him, her eyes on his face. He yells out, knowing there's no one but her around for miles, and she swallows everything he produces with practiced ease. She licks him until he's down from his high, and lifts her head as soon as he's relaxed. "Wow," he murmurs as she slowly wipes her mouth clean. "Didn't expect that wake up call."

**(^_^) (^_^) (^_^) (^_^) (^_^) (^_^)**

"I thought you'd appreciate it," she says, smiling. "Would you like a coffee? A bacon sandwich?"

"Are you serious?" he asks, his eyes wide. "Did something happen that I need to know about? What did you do?"

"Nothing," she says. "There's no news, I've done nothing, I just want to know if you want breakfast."

"Sure, but only if you're making for yourself, too," he says, watching her. "Are you  _sure_ nothing's wrong?"

"I'm certain," she assures him, then kisses his lips. "I love you. Toasted bread or regular?"

"Toasted, sweetheart, thanks," he says, hugging her. "And after food, once I've cleaned my teeth, I'm returning that little favour you just did for me."

"No, you're not," she chuckles. "I'm sensitive in  _every_ area today, and I don't particularly fancy it. But maybe when I feel up to it, I'll let you."

"What do you mean, sensitive?" he asks, suddenly worried. "What hurts?"

"Nothing  _hurts_ , every nerve in my body is just heightened, and I don't want to have any pleasure like this because I might pass out," she tells him. "I'll go make food."

She bolts, and returns twenty minutes later with two plates of bacon sandwiches and two mugs of coffee on a tray. "Wow, Princess," he says, eyeing the food appreciatively.

"I thought that may be your reaction," she giggles, lowering herself slowly to the bed and sighing happily once she's sat. "Eat up. I made extra."

"Why?" he asks. "You're not in the mood for all the sex I was planning to give you."

"But I  _was_ thinking, since I'm not feeling on top form, we could go for a little stroll in the woods," she says tentatively. "I know it doesn't appeal lots to you, but I think it could be nice, just you and me in the woods."

"It's November, beautiful. You might freeze," he says, taking a sandwich. "Are you sure? What about your hips?"

"We won't go too far from the cabin," she offers. "And I brought some warmer things, I made sure I had some. I just want a look around. You've always wanted me to come walking in the woodland with you."

"That was before you were pregnant and aching in all different parts of your tiny body," he counters, but shrugs. "If you get your little self fed, caffeinated, and warmly wrapped, we can go for a little walk in the woods."

She lights up and squeaks "Okay!"

"Remember, food and coffee first," he insists. "No bolting off to get ready yet. Eat and drink."

A small pout crosses her face, but she sits back and eats her share of sandwiches, then slowly drinks her coffee. "Am I okay to get ready now?" she asks.

He smirks at her and nods. "Go on, gorgeous, go get yourself ready," he chuckles, always keen on her enthusiasm. She carefully slides off the bed and pushes herself up, then waddles quickly off to the bathroom. Once she's in there, Haymitch finishes the sandwiches while she washes her face and cleans her teeth, and he follows her just as he hears the shower running. He knocks on the glass door gently and asks "Room for two, beautiful?"

"As long as there's very little funny stuff," she says, and opens the door. He steps in with her, and immediately hugs her. "Aww. Showering for cuddles?"

"Well, you don't feel up to sex, and I don't like not being able to see your pretty face, so I thought showering means getting clean and giving you kisses," he tells her, then kisses her lips.

"If you really want sex, darling, you can tell me. I'll do it if you're  _that_ interested," she offers timidly, as if she expects him to get angry at her.

"Sweetheart, I'm not going to force you into it," he tells her, grabbing her shampoo. "Come here, let me get at those curls of yours."

She lets him wash her hair, purring softly at the feeling of his hands in her hair. He washes her hair, then her lower half and her back where she can't reach, purely to be helpful. However, Effie takes this wrongly and washes him thoroughly. She ends up using her hands on him, and he kisses her head gently as he finishes on her hands. "My sensitivity is no reason for you not to enjoy things," she murmurs lovingly.

"If you want me to wait, beautiful, I can wait," he says. "I've gone longer than twenty four hours without it before."

"I know, but I want to make you feel good. It's not fair on you to have to wait for release just because I'm not feeling up to it," she murmurs. "I want to make things good for you."

He kisses her head and murmurs "I love that you're so considerate, sweetheart, but you don't have to do things for me if you're not feeling up to it. I'm okay to wait for your readiness, beautiful."

She smiles, then kisses him gently. "I'll finish washing, and then we can get ready to go," she murmurs. She makes a quick job of washing herself, and Haymitch gets out to grab her a towel. He grabs three towels, handing two to her to dry her hair and body. She kisses him gently, dries off, then examines her body in the mirror. "Ugh."

"What's up?" Haymitch asks, his mind immediately jumping to her in pain. "What's happened?"

"Nothing," she says, eyeing herself disdainfully. "I just look like a lump with limbs and a head. I'm amazed you call me beautiful when I look  _this_ bad."

"What are you on?" he asks, rolling his eyes. "You're just as gorgeous as ever."

"Gorgeous for what? A broken goblin with a beer belly?" she scoffs. "I hate this. Look at that! Stretch marks!"

Haymitch rolls his eyes again, scrubbing at his hair with the towel. "Yeah? Your skin's had to stretch. In case you've got severe mom brain over there and somehow forgot, you've got a small human  _growing_ inside you. He's got to have some room to grow," he scoffs. She gestures angrily to her chest, and he smirks. "Nice of you to invite me to look at your chest, beautiful."

"Not that! Have you noticed the purple and white marks on them?!" she shrieks.

"Yeah. So?" he asks. "Again, baby. Inside you. You're making milk to feed him when he's  _not_ inside you. Milk needs somewhere to go, too. You're still gorgeous and perfect regardless of a few stretch marks. At least you're getting these from making someone new."

She rubs her stomach gently. "You're stretching me out," she sighs, staring down at her stomach. "I love you, and it's a good thing, too. You'd better let me squish your cheeks after you come out, little man. I'm not going through all of this just to be told that I'm not allowed to squish your cheeks."

"Is that why you wanted him? Cheek squishing?" Haymitch chuckles.

"It's one of my reasons," she hums. "It'll also be one of the reasons I accept stretch marks."

"If it means that much to you, after you've given birth, I'll pay for you to have them removed," he says, although he dislikes that idea. "What do you say?"

"I'll see, but I'm keeping the offer," she says. "Now, please could you distract our son? He's kicking my bladder, and I don't need that."

He nods, always happy to be offered a chance to interact with their baby, then sits Effie on the closed toilet lid. She lets out a quiet sigh of contentment as the pressure leaves her lower half, and a warm smile stretches across her face when Haymitch's warm hand comes into contact with her stomach. "Hey, little bean. What's this I hear about you playing soccer with Mama's bladder?" he asks, grinning a bit as the baby kicks his palm. "I get that you love kicking it, it's a lot of fun for you, but Mama needs her bladder in one piece. Can you do us a favour? Try not to kick Mommy's insides about as much."

The baby kicks again and Effie smiles. "Aww. He likes listening to you talk. He always relaxes when you talk to him," she whispers.

Haymitch grins at that, the tips of his ears turning red. "Okay. Well, we can talk later. Right now, you need to get yourself layered up, beautiful," he tells her, patting her stomach gently. "Keep yourself and the little bean warm."

She grins and asks "Is that his new name? Bean?"

"Yeah," he chuckles. "Until he's got a real name, he's Bean."

Effie laughs, then groans as she struggles to get up. "Help me up?" she asks, looking at him in defeat.

He lifts her to her feet, then squeezes her bottom. She wraps her arm around his waist, allowing him to guide her to their room. They each grab their warmest clothes and layer themselves up before their walk. Haymitch carefully studies Effie, then asks "Are you sure you want a walk?"

"Yes," she says firmly. "I feel like it'll do us all good. We could go slowly."

"I'm bringing your chair," he tells her. "I'm not letting you sit on the ground, we'll never get you off it."

She laughs, then kisses him. "Okay. You're right. We need the chair. I'll go refill our water bottles," she whispers, then waddles off to the kitchen.

* * *

Once outside, Haymitch asks "So, beautiful, how are you feeling?"

"Like we just locked the door and haven't started walking yet," she chuckles before spotting the concern on his face. Her face softens and she nods. "I'm fine, darling. I promise that I'll tell you if something's not right."

He nods slowly, then offers her his free arm. "Come on, then," he says, kissing her nose. "Before you freeze."

"I won't freeze, I've got more layers than an onion," she giggles, taking his arm and snuggling up to him. "However, don't let that stop you snuggling me. I love snuggling with you."

He laughs, and they slowly walk away from the cabin. Haymitch keeps a close eye on Effie, where she's looking around happily. She lets out a loud squeak, and instantly, he panics. "What's up?" he demands.

She points up into the trees. "Look! Baby squirrels!" she breathes. "Aren't they  _precious_?"

He looks up to see tiny squirrels, barely big enough to fit in Effie's palm, all running and chittering. "Yeah, they are," he says, relieved that she's not hurting.

"Are you okay, sweetie?" Effie asks softly. "You seem a bit nervous."

"I'm just worried about you," he tells her quietly, a little awkwardly. "You've been suffering so much lately, and I hate seeing you suffer."

She hugs him close. "I told you, I'll tell you if I need medical help. The baby and I are fine," she tells him.

He nods, then squeezes her gently. "Okay. The minute something hurts, you tell me," he whispers. 

They walk a little further into the woods, and she groans softly. "Okay," she breathes softly.

"You all right?" Haymitch asks worriedly. "Do you need your chair?"

"No, no, I'm fine," she whispers, then groans again, her knees buckling. "Maybe yes."

He unfolds the chair and helps her sit down. "What's wrong?" he asks, cupping her cheek. 

"I felt like I was having a really, really bad period cramp. Like my worst ones, but three times worse," she whispers, a little bit pale. 

"You're only twenty five weeks along, isn't it too early for contractions?" he asks, really starting to panic now.

"No," she murmurs. "No, it's not. But I don't think they're the real thing. Apparently, the real thing is much worse."

"So what is it?" he asks, placing his hand on her stomach.

"Braxton Hicks," she whispers. "My sisters both had the same problem around this stage with their pregnancies, and so did my mom. I think it runs in the family."

He relaxes a little and asks "How can you tell if it's the real thing?"

"I'd need a doctor," she says slowly. "But if the pains stop or slow to a stop, it's fake."

"Do you think they'll stop?" he asks, because the idea of her being in premature labour so far from a hospital scares him even more than the idea of her having to give birth.

"Yes," she sighs. "I think they have. It's not as bad as it was."

"Stay sat down for a bit longer," he tells her firmly. She bristles at his tone, and opens her mouth to argue, but his glare shuts her up. "No. You're  _staying_. I'm not asking you if you want to. Stay there."

She sighs, a pout forming on her lips. "Fine, as long as you don't talk to me like that again," she mutters. "I'm not your dog."

"I know you're not," he says. "I'm not risking anything worse happening."

She curls up on the chair and has a few mouthfuls of water from her bottle, then stares into the trees for a while. Haymitch takes off his coat and sits on it, in no great hurry to move. He has a few sips of his water while listening to the sounds of the woodland around them. Eventually, Effie squirms off her chair to cuddle up next to him, and whispers "Are you mad at me?"

"No," he murmurs, hugging her. "Are you really that self-absorbed, sweetheart? Thinking I'm mad at you when you're having a sulk?"

She recoils as if he's burnt her, and escapes him. "Well, excuse me!" she snaps. "I just thought you were because you were all snappy with me, then you went quiet! You only do that when you're mad at me, so of course I thought you were!"

Her loud, shrill voice startles the nearby birds, and Haymitch shrugs. "You weren't exactly brimming with conversation yourself," he points out.

"I thought you were angry," she says coldly. "And now I know you are. Let's just go back to the cabin."

He gets up and grabs her chair, putting it back in its bag, while she picks his coat up and dusts it off. She holds it up for him to put it back on, and once he's got it on, starts to speed walk ahead of him. Instead of trying to catch up, he walks a few paces behind her, ready to catch her if she falls or needs help. They arrive back at the cabin in silence, and she lets them in. She makes a beeline for the kitchen, and Haymitch stands in the doorway to watch her. She starts to make hot chocolate, and Haymitch asks "Do I blame this mood of yours on you, hormones, pain, or me?"

"Blame it on me," she scoffs. "Isn't that what we do when things go sour? Blame it on selfish me?"

"For Panem's sake, sweetheart," he sighs. "You never used to mind when I made that joke. You know you're not selfish."

"Aren't I?" she asks coldly, trying and failing to mask the hurt in her voice. "Even  _you_ said it, and ever since we learned to live together, you've been avoiding being mean to me. If you'll tell me that, it must be true."

"Sweetheart, I've called you any number of names, and you've never taken it this hard," he points out. "Is this you feeling extra sensitive and just needing to hug it out?"

"Trust me, even if I wanted a hug, I wouldn't be accepting them," she tells him icily. "Just go into the living room, I'll bring your drink in."

He rolls his eyes, then walks up close to her and kisses her forehead. "Look, you're not self-absorbed, beautiful," he murmurs. "It just sounded that way, that's all. You're not self-absorbed, and there's a countless amount of things to prove that. Now, be upset if you want, but don't be nasty to yourself."

He leaves the kitchen, and slumps down on the sofa. She comes in a few minutes later, her eyes wet and red, and she places the mug on the coffee table in front of him. "Here," she whispers, and almost manages a run into their bedroom.

He sighs heavily and picks up his book, deciding that she needs a little time to cool down on her own. He picks up his drink amd smells the hot aroma of coffee, feeling a pang of sadness for her. He knows her love for coffee, and knowing that she's upset with him, but still made him coffee in spite of how much she loves it and can't have it, makes him want to go and hug her. He hears a quiet sniff coming from their room and just feels worse. He marks his place, puts his drink down, and goes to their room. "Eff?" he asks.

"Go away," she hisses, covering the tremble of her voice. "Just go and read, have your drink, whatever you like, just leave me alone."

He sits on their bed and rubs her back gently, wincing when her sharp nails stab his arm as she blindly bats at him. "Watch the nails, sweetheart," he murmurs. "I'm sorry I called you self-absorbed."

"Well, thank you, and I'm sorry for being self-absorbed. Now please do me a massive favour and leave me alone," she growls. "I'll go and sit in the woods on my own if you don't."

He sighs, then kisses her between her shoulder blades. "Am I sleeping on the sofa tonight?" he asks quietly.

"No," she mutters. "If you're not careful, though, you'll be in bed alone tonight. Now leave if you want someone to snuggle with tonight."

He groans quietly, then pats her back. "Be nice to yourself and Little Bean, Princess," he murmurs, then gets up. "By the way, thanks for the coffee."

He leaves her alone and takes his book and coffee out to the porch.

* * *

As dusk falls, Effie pokes her head out and softly asks "Are you coming back inside, Haymitch?"

He looks around, having finished his book hours earlier, and nods, picking the book and long-empty mug up. "Sure, beautiful," he says. She opens the door wide for him, standing well to the side, and waits for him to be sat on the sofa before she closes the door and locks it. He lifts an eyebrow at her and asks "Do you want a hug, sweetheart?"

"No, thank you," she whispers, and quickly grabs his mug from the table. "I'll make you another drink."

She disappears into the kitchen, and he rubs his hand over his face, wondering if he's completely ruined everything with her with that one jab at her. She takes her time making the drink, but when she returns, she places the mug in front of him, staying out of his reach. "What's wrong?" he asks, noticing the distance she's keeping. "Have you convinced yourself there's something bigger than the original problem?"

"No," she murmurs. "i'm just giving you some me-free space. It's good for you to breathe without me in your personal space every so often."

"It's been six hours, beautiful. I've had plenty time to breathe. I've been ready to hug you since before I went out on the porch. You can tell me if you want to be left alone, you know," he tells her, though it hurts to think that she might not want to be around him.

She looks like a kicked puppy, which doesn't help him stay put instead of hugging her. "I don't want to be left alone," she whispers. "I just don't want to force you to spend time with me, either."

She picks a book of her own up, then curls up in a dark corner on her own. He gets up and walks over, sitting beside her. "Come here," he whispers, placing his arm lightly around her shoulders. She stiffens, and he kisses her head. "Come on, it's okay. I want to hug you if you want to be hugged."

She leans on him and sighs softly as he tightens his grip a little. "I'm sorry for being such a drama queen," she murmurs. "I should have just laughed at you, you were joking around, and I took you seriously. I'm sorry for doing this to you."

"It's fine, sweetheart. I shouldn't have made that joke, it's a tender subject for you," he murmurs, kissing her head again. 

"You've made jokes like that since we met," she refutes. "It's never been that painful before. And my reaction's only caused you hours of uncertainty and frustration. In future, if I get like this again, just tell me to shut up and stop being so dramatic."

"No chance," he murmurs. "Hell will freeze over first. You're not dramatic to be offended by an idiotic joke. Come on, little squish, you know better. You're allowed to feel hurt and sad, especially when you're insulted for no reason."

"I don't want you to feel like you have to filter yourself around me," she whispers. "It's not fair, you let me joke around like that with you."

"I'm not the one with self-confidence issues," he says. "I know your jokes are just that. What I said earlier, you tell yourself that stuff seriously all the time. You're convinced there's something wrong with you."

She bites her tongue, then murmurs "There probably is, but I don't really want to get into that, we'll be here from now until our baby's old enough to start elementary school. Is it okay if we just move on to the make up part?"

He kisses her gently and whispers "That's always my favourite bit, beautiful. Here, we'll go sit on the sofa, and I'll read to you. You like being read to, right?"

She nods, and gives him her book. He takes it, stands, then helps her up. "I love you," she whispers, hugging him tightly. He hugs her back, then scoops her up and carries her to the sofa. He sits down with her on his lap, and settles so that they're both comfortable and ready to read. "Fair warning, there's sex in this book."

"Damn," he chuckles quietly. "We're both going to end up imagining doing this stuff, aren't we?"

"Yes," she giggles. "And maybe someday after this little sweetie's out, we can try it."

"Challenge accepted," he chuckles, and kisses her before he starts to read the book. He falls asleep before the end, and Effie ends up snuggling up to him for most of the night, too warm and comfortable to wake him, and too full of adrenaline to sleep. She watches the sun rise through the curtains, and accepts that this is going to be a day that she's going to have to be grumpy for. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked this. As always, if you have anything you want to share, please let me know down below in the comments. I'm always up for a chat, and I love hearing what you think, whether it's something that needs work, or something you liked, or somewhere in between, or even totally unrelated.
> 
> I hope you've had a good week, and if not, I hope this next one's better for you, and I'm always around on here or Twitter if you need someone to vent to. Much love and happiness to you all. Cat xxx


	36. Flooded Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haymitch and Effie's cabin has flooded, and they're on their way home tonight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, everyone, welcome to a new chapter.
> 
> Fair warning, some smut nearer the end.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games, its characters, or its world. All rights go to Suzanne Collins, and I am not Suzanne. I just like playing around with her characters.

"Princess," Haymitch mumbles. 

"Don't Princess me," Effie snarls. "I don't Princess until coffee." 

He rubs her back gently and asks "Do you Princess if your squishy tells you the cabin's flooded?"

"You what?!" she shrieks, and bolts out of bed, into knee deep water. Sure enough, the whole cabin is knee deep in water, and Effie screams, grabs their still-packed suitcases, and yells "Get out of this place!"

He does as she asks, and they splash out of the cabin. He scoops her up and takes both cases, then says "I'll have to carry you, beautiful, I don't have the chair."

He runs with her through the woods, and they make it to their hired car. He piles her and their bags in, then climbs into the driver's seat. "Ohh," she groans, clutching her stomach. "Not again!"

"Sweetheart?" he asks worriedly.

"It's fine, it's fine, he just kicked me in the bladder again," she whines. "Just drive, I want to get home."

He drives them to the train station, while Effie calls the owner of the cabin. "Hello?" a sleepy voice asks on the other end.

"Hello. This is Effie Abernathy, the one you rented your log cabin to," she says.

"How can I help you, Mrs Abernathy?" the voice asks.

"My husband and I were asleep less than ten minutes ago, and we woke up to a flood in the whole cabin that we didn't cause," she tells him. "We haven't had a tap running, and we secured each faucet there is in there before going to bed. We got out, we're driving to the train station, but your cabin was already fully flooded when we woke, and it was only through luck that we got out of there without drowning. I don't blame you for this, obviously, but I do think you should investigate. And maybe build something sturdier in its place."

"I'm so sorry," the man winces. "That must have been terrifying. I'll look into it, and I'll give you and your husband a full refund. Are you okay? When you arrived, you seemed... Pretty far along, if you don't mind me saying that."

"No, I don't mind, I am," she says. "Everything's okay, we got out, our baby's fine. We had the happy mistake that we didn't unpack our things, and our bags were by the bedroom door, so we have our things, too. Most of them."

"Only toothbrushes, shower gel, and hair stuff left there, right?" Haymitch asks, shaking hard now that the adrenaline is leaving him.

"Yes. Honey, pull over, you're shaking," she murmurs. "You can keep our money, sir. In fact, because it flooded while we were there, we'd like to pay for half the rebuild."

Haymitch grins and shakily squeezes her thigh. "That's my girl," he murmurs.

"We can't accept that," the man on the phone gasps.

"You can, and you will. I'm sending over fifty thousand. Is that enough?" she asks.

"That's more than... Please don't, Mrs Abernathy, you and your family could have died tonight in my cabin," he breathes.

"You lost a cabin that's part of your income," she counters. "I want to help, and so does my husband."

Haymitch transfers the money to the owner of the cabin, and the man asks "Seriously? You two sure you had nothing to do with the place flooding?"

"I'm certain, but we can't let it slide like that," she says gently. "It's the least we can do."

"Okay. Don't you want somewhere else to sleep for the night?" he asks.

"No, thank you. We're heading home. We need to check in on our friends," she says kindly. "But that is a very sweet offer."

Haymitch drops the car off at the station and says "This car needs returning. We're heading home."

* * *

They arrive home in Twelve just after the first rays of light have permeated the sky, and Effie hugs Haymitch close. "I don't know about you, sweetest, but I'm ready for bed," she mumbles.

"Yeah, I could do with a sleep," Haymitch mumbles, kissing her head. "How do you feel?"

"Exhausted and squishy," she murmurs.

They get back inside, and Effie pushes him against the door, pressing herself against him. "What's going on in that pretty head of yours?" Haymitch asks, pressing a kiss to her nose.

"I want you," she murmurs, running her hand down his chest. "Do you want me?"

"Always, beautiful," he whispers, reaching down and grabbing her waist. "But you said you feel all tender."

"Yes... But I want you, and I think I'll just have to suck the pain up," she murmurs, shrugging.

**(!) (!) (!) (!) (!) (!)**

She kisses his lips, instantly making it dirty and messy in all the best ways. He reaches down into the waistband of her silken night shorts. She smiles into the kiss and whispers "How do you want this?"

He turns them around so that her back's pressed against the door, then murmurs "I want to make you scream, sweetheart."

She giggles and starts to undress him, pushing his coat off, quickly followed by the T-shirt he'd put on in the car. "Then do so," she purrs, her fingers raking down his chest, tangling in his dark, wiry hair. "Mm."

"You still like your men unshaved?" he asks teasingly, lifting her red silk camisole over her head.

"Yes," she purrs, taking pains to explore every inch of his torso. Her nails catch on his nipples, making him groan. She giggles softly, then leans down to lick at them gently. He groans softly and grabs her head. "What's up?"

"Mine now," he growls, then kisses her again, pushing her shorts and panties off. She eagerly unfastens his jeans and shoves them down, his boxers quickly following. "Eager?"

"Absolutely," she hisses, grabbing his member and gently pumps him once. "Ooh..."

"Calm down, beautiful, I've not even had a chance to play with you yet," he chuckles quietly into her ear. She groans softly as his hands travel up from her bottom, over her body, and grabs his wrists as he reaches her breasts. "You okay?"

"Be gentle on them," she murmurs. "I don't know how much they can take."

He nods, then cups them. She whines softly, and he asks "Okay?" She nods, and he takes that as a cue to move on. He leans down and peppers light kisses on them, listening to her whimpers. He tenderly licks her nipple, and she gasps, her hips jolting forward. "Is that a good thing?"

"Yes," she squeaks. "Absolutely a good thing."

He smiles and continues teasingly licking her, worried to hurt her. He stops when she screams, concerned that he's hurt her, and asks "Are you okay?"

"I won't be if you don't keep licking me," she whispers, her voice trembling. He laughs and continues licking her for a few more minutes before kissing his way down her stomach. She groans softly, then whimpers "As much as I'd like oral right now, I want you inside me."

He chuckles, then stands up and grabs her bottom, lifting her up. She hooks her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck, and he moves one arm from under her to guide himself into her. She whimpers loudly when he enters her, and he kisses her neck gently. "All right?" he asks, nibbling her neck. She nods, whimpering. He lets her adjust to his size, then asks "How do you want this?"

"Hard and fast," she murmurs. "We do need to nap too."

He nods, and holds her waist tightly, and starts moving at the same pace he uses when they've fought. She lets out a series of quiet moans, which grow steadily louder with each rough thrust. She lets out a high-pitched scream, and her walls clench hard around his flesh. "That's right, sweetheart, scream for me," he growls into her ear, speeding up so that his hips are almost snapping against hers. She screams even louder, and he slides his hand between their bodies, despite the angle not being great. He finds her clit with ease, and rubs it, making her scream enough to rattle the windows. She whines, and Haymitch grins. "Good girl, Princess. Good girl. Think you can finish?"

She shrieks, her back arching off the door and falling back rapidly. He groans, his vision flashing white, then black, then focusing back on her face as he tries to hold off for her. This plan isn't helped when she presses her body to his and growls "Mine," into his ear. Her climax hits her hard, and she pulls on his hair hard. This finishes his already wavering resolve, and he spills everything inside her. She lets out a loud shriek, and flops against him. His knees start to feel weak as he pulls out, and he puts her onto the ground to ensure that she's safe. She murmurs "Bed?"

"Bed," he agrees, and he holds her hand the whole way up to their room. 

**(^_^) (^_^) (^_^) (^_^) (^_^) (^_^)**

Once upstairs, he and Effie wash themselves of sweat, then rush to their bed. Effie sighs happily as she flops onto their bed, and whispers "I've missed our bed, squish."

"So have I," Haymitch chuckles, then helps her under the duvet. He tucks her in, walks around the bed, and gets into bed next to her. He wraps his arms around her, and she smiles, cuddling up to him. "How do you feel?"

"Like I just had some fantastic sex," she whispers, placing her hand on his stomach. "I love how sex with you never fails to be amazing."

He chuckles, his ego inflating a bit. He pats her stomach tenderly, feeling their son kick gently. "I'm going to give you sex like that until my body refuses to cooperate," he tells her, grinning. 

"You'll have a houseful of children by the time you're fifty if you keep that promise," she giggles, twirling a bit of his chest hair between her fingers. A yawn escapes her, and she curls up as much as she can. "I'll give you as many babies as you like."

She's asleep again in minutes, and Haymitch only thinks of Katniss and Peeta feeding his geese in a few hours and not knowing that he and Effie are home. That makes him fall asleep with an amused grin on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this. As always, leave me a comment telling me what you think of it, any questions, or constructive criticism you may have. 
> 
> Much love and happiness to you all. Until next time. Cat xxx


	37. Caring for Willow; The Hayffie Way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haymitch and Effie have been in hiding since getting home at the crack of dawn, and almost as soon as they tell Peeta and Katniss that they're home, it's regularly scheduled Willow-sitting for them, and Haymitch has an epiphany he doesn't really want.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, all. Hope you've all had a good week, and that you're ready for this chapter.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games, its characters, or its world. All rights go to Suzanne Collins, and I am not Suzanne. I just like playing around with her characters.

"Effie, we have to tell the kids we're home," Haymitch chuckles, kissing Effie's nose as she snuggles up to him. "They expected us home today."

"I know, but it's so nice, just the two of us," she whines playfully. "Can we pretend until tomorrow?"

"No, come on. You want to give them hugs again, right?" he asks softly.

"I suppose I do," she sighs. "But I want uninterrupted snuggle time, too."

He laughs and kisses her head. "We'll call them and tell them we got in just before dawn, yeah?" he asks, petting her.

"Fine. But I want to snuggle," she insists.

He laughs and passes her the phone, dialling the kids' number. Peeta's voice is harsh and tired when he answers with a sharp "Hello?"

"Peeta?" she asks nervously. "Sweetie? What's wrong?"

"Effie!" he exclaims, relieved. "Thank Panem, it's you! When did you get home?"

"Early hours this morning," she says. "What's the matter, darling?"

"Katniss is sick, she has stomach flu, and Willow won't settle without her, but we don't want to pass it on to Willow," Peeta tells her hastily.

"Bring her over," Effie says. "We'll look after your baby while you care for her mama."

"You're a lifesaver," Peeta sighs gratefully.

He arrives in minutes with a few bottles and diapers for Willow, along with several changes of clothes. "Here she is," he says, and Haymitch and Effie wince at Willow's loud screams. 

Effie struggles to her feet, then waddles over to take Willow. "Hey, sweetheart," she whispers lovingly. "Hello, beautiful. What's the matter with my little butterfly?"

Willow quietens and coos adorably, snuggling against Effie's chest. "She just wanted a mom's hold, then," Peeta sighs, clearly relieved by the absence of his daughter's screams.

"Well, we can help," Effie says, jiggling Willow gently. "Oh, little Willow. You get more beautiful every day. Come on, sweet girl."

Effie sits down and starts slowly rocking Willow, where Haymitch looks up at Peeta. "You say the girl's sick?" he asks.

"Yeah, she got it yesterday," Peeta says. "Willow's been acting up all day."

"Do you mind if we take her out today?" Effie asks. "We need to do our Christmas shopping, see."

"Sure, just don't lose her," Peeta says, shrugging. 

Haymitch chuckles. "We won't. Mama over there won't lose a kid," he tells him, nodding at Effie.

Effie blushes, a pleased smile slipping onto her lips. 

* * *

They rush through their shopping, and Effie insists on buying Willow a toy, which Haymitch protests, because she's too little for toys, but Effie insists that she can teach the little girl the alphabet if she gets her this toy. Willow seems perfectly content to cuddle up to Haymitch and watch as Effie promotes the benefits of helping Willow learn things, and in the end, Haymitch says "Sweetheart, that's her parents' job, not ours. Put the toy down."

"No. I'm buying it for her," Effie huffs. "We're her grandparents, after all. She's having the toy."

As soon as they're home, and the gifts, groceries, and wrapping paper have all been stored, Haymitch asks "You going to start teaching the baby the alphabet, beautiful?"

"Yes," Effie says happily, then takes Willow from him. "Come on, beautiful girl. Want to learn?"

Willow just sits placidly in Effie's lap and occasionally smacks a button on the toy, making it robotically shout a random letter. This amuses Willow, and she starts to giggle when she smacks it and hears a letter in response. Haymitch chuckles "Don't know if it's teaching her anything, but she sure seems fascinated by it yelling when she hits it."

Effie smiles. "That's good. It'll go into her subconscious, she'll learn through play," she says.

By the time Peeta comes to see them, Willow's sitting on Effie's lap while Haymitch teases his wife. "You're wasting your time, sweetheart, she's not going to understand it immediately," he chuckles.

"So? Repetition helps," she insists, then starts singing the alphabet to Willow again.

"Is she trying to educate her?" Peeta asks, amused. Willow shrieks happily, and her little feet kick about. "Hey, baby girl."

Haymitch smirks. "Yeah. Effie got it into her head that she could teach your kid the alphabet," he says.

"That's good," Peeta says. "Katniss is impatient with that. She wants to get Willow talking, all the screaming's getting to her a bit."

"She hasn't got the patience for this poor baby," Effie tuts. "But she's a good mommy otherwise. Isn't she? Yes. Your mommy is the best mommy."

Willow grins and shoves her fist into her mouth. Effie smiles at her, and Peeta asks "Do you mind keeping her for a couple of days?"

"No," Haymitch says. "We're here to look after her when you and the girl aren't well enough to."

Effie nods eagerly, and Willow shoves her other fist into Effie's mouth. Her surprised squeak makes Haymitch and Peeta burst out laughing, and encourages Willow to giggle at them. Effie recovers in seconds and removes Willow's fist from her mouth, gently pretending to eat it. "Mm, yummy," she coos, grinning. "Yes, sweetie. Your fist is yummy."

Willow laughs harder, and a loud squelching emanates from her diaper. This makes Haymitch start laughing again, doubling up. Effie stands up and starts getting Willow's changing mat and diapers out. Haymitch wheezes "Priceless."

Peeta chuckles "All kids do it. I'd better get back, Katniss will wake up soon."

"Of course," Effie says easily, smiling at him. "Give her my best, won't you?"

"Will do," Peeta says, then waves at Willow. "See you in a bit."

He gets out before Effie has Willow on the changing mat, and Haymitch is still laughing and wheezing. "Want to tell me what's so funny?" Effie asks flatly, taking Willow's dress off to avoid getting it dirty.

"She laughed so hard, she s- Uh,  _pooped_ herself," Haymitch wheezes, just barely catching himself.

"Be careful, honey, you might follow in her skid marks," Effie chuckles. "Her excuse is that she's a little baby. What's yours?"

His laughter slows to a stop, and he glares at her. "You trying to say I'm incapable of controlling myself?" he asks.

"Well, I can see your pants, and they're wet," she says calmly, watching him closely. He checks, and she bursts out laughing. "You believed that?!"

"No," he mutters, the tips of his ears burning red. "You're changing a soiled diaper, I might take the chance to shove your little face in it."

"You wouldn't do that," she dismisses calmly. "You love me too much, you value your marriage, and being allowed to see your son."

He glares at her for a minute more, then flops back in his seat. "You're lucky that you're cute," he tells her grumpily. He watches her change Willow's diaper, seeing her calm, almost peaceful demeanour, and involuntarily, his eyes lower to her stomach. The knowledge that their baby is in there, waiting to come out, waiting for him to do all the things he does for Willow for him, and waiting for him to be his father suddenly slams down, right into Haymitch's chest, and he finds himself unable to breathe. Effie's voice is far away, and he can definitely hear her saying things, but he can't make them out. He cuts her off mid-sentence and mumbles "I'm going outside."

He leaves the building through the back door, and sits on the decking, watching the windchimes Effie's hung out there as they blow about in the wind. "Want to tell me what's wrong?" Effie asks.

She presses a mug of his favourite tea into his hands, and he smirks slightly at her. "Nah," he mutters. "No point."

"There's always a point. You were panicking," she murmurs gently. "One minute, you were glaring at me, and the next, you were pale as death, breathing oddly, and sweating. I couldn't get a response out of you, and you didn't seem to understand me."

He shrugs. "Nothing we can resolve," he tells her softly, transferring his mug into one hand so that he can safely wrap his arm around her. She winds her free arm around him as she cuddles up to him. "Thanks, though."

She chuckles quietly, then murmurs "It's okay." She's quiet for a few minutes, then whispers "It's okay if you're afraid of being a parent, too. I know it's a scary thought. He's not going to be in here forever, and we're going to have to take care of him."

"Don't set me off again, sweetheart, I've barely managed to calm down," he mutters.

"No, I don't mean it that way," she says. "But you're not the only new parent here. I'm just as in it as you are. And honestly, I think he'll be fine. We're going to be hysterical wrecks after a day, and he's going to wonder what kinds of crazy these giant, flailing, crying, screaming things trying to care for him are. We'll be disasters. He, however, will grow up well fed, well hydrated, perfectly clean, perfectly healthy, and safe, knowing that his paranoid, borderline insane parents love him to pieces, and we'll never let anything hurt him. He'll come out totally fine, despite our best weirdnesses. I promise you, we won't fail this child."

"You won't," Haymitch chuckles sadly. "You'll never fail him. Me? Not so much. A father's meant to be a role model for his kids. For a son, what he's supposed to be when he grows up. Mine failed my brother and me. My brother never met the guy. I wish I hadn't met him. What's Bean got? A former drunk who still has tremors and relapses, who killed more kids than I can count, who put the people he loves most at risk just for one other person, and who can't even treat his own wife right. That's what this little guy has to look up to. I'm not the role model he needs, Eff. He needs a guy he can proudly say  _that's my dad_ about. He needs a guy he can say that he emulates when he talks to a woman, and he needs a guy he can emulate when raising kids of his own. Do you really think he'll be able to do that?"

"Yes," Effie says firmly. "I do. Because when you're not seeing it with self hatred clouding your judgement, it's plain to see. For a start, you're here. You're worrying about him, you want to be there for him, you want to be good for him."

"That ain't enough, though, is it?" he asks bitterly. "I want to treat you right, and I make you cry more often than not."

"Sweetest, I'm in my second trimester of pregnancy. Seeing Willow take a nap makes me cry," she scoffs. "But that's not what I mean. He has a father who resists drinking on his worst days for him. He has a father who was forced to commit the worst acts known to humanity, and go through a war with the toughest choices, but still came out on the other side capable of loving enough to have a family and want to protect them. He has a father who adores his wife, despite all her craziness, and wants nothing more than to be loved as much as he loves. He has a father who'll give him anything he asks for, no matter what it costs him to get it. He has a father who is strong, brave, clever, kind, gentle, and resilient. That's what our son has to look up to. He has a man who won't give up at the first hurdle, all for him. He has a father he can look at and confidently say  _that's who I want to grow up to be._ He has you, and nothing's more precious than that. You'll be the best father anyone's ever seen. I can see you without the hate clouding my sight."

"You wear rose tinted glasses," he scoffs, but kisses her forehead. "Thanks, Princess. Your rose glasses always show you the best of everyone."

"You in particular," she says, smiling. "But really, if I thought you'd be a terrible father, I would have had an abortion without ever telling you that I was pregnant."

He nods, then squeezes her. "Glad you have faith in me, beautiful," he says.

"One of us is going have to be a good parent," she chuckles. "It's just a bonus if we both are."

"You'll be fantastic. There's nothing you've tried that you've failed at," he says, ruffling her hair. 

"I tried wearing flats once. I couldn't balance properly," she says grimly. "Never. Ever again."

He kisses her head, grinning, then nods over toward the sunset. "Look," he mutters. "Sunset."

She sighs softly, snuggling up to him. They watch the sun go down together, Willow comfortably dozing off in Effie's arms. As the sky darkens above the last rays of light, Effie murmurs "I want to be able to do this forever. Just sit quietly with you, watching the sun set, and know that we've made it through another day."

"If you want to do that for the rest of our lives, beautiful, we can," he offers. "We'll always be able to do this together."

She looks up at him and smiles, then whispers "Only ever with you by my side."

He kisses her head and murmurs "Sure, beautiful. Only ever us together."

They head inside when the sky's black and dotted with stars, and Haymitch starts to make their dinner. Effie sits with Willow, just wondering how they ended up like this when they never could stand to be in the same room together. "I love watching you cook," she comments quietly.

He chuckles "You're holding Willow, try to keep those dirty thoughts quiet, Princess."

"You make it difficult," she giggles. "Cooking will always guarantee you sex."

"Like I said, tamp it down, you're holding a baby," he tells her fondly, shooting her a smile. "Tonight, when the baby's in bed."

"Got you," she says, smiling. "I will hold you to that."

And, a few hours later, Willow asleep in her basket, she holds him to his promise, and on a more literal note, any flat surface they can find, just praying that they don't wake the little baby up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's this chapter done. As always, please leave me a comment letting me know what you thought, and if you have any constructive criticism, please let me know that too. 
> 
> As a side note, I'm always open for one shot requests and aside pieces for different characters for this series, so if you have any, the comments are always open, the PM box and reviews on my fanfiction net page, and my DMs on Twitter (@BlackCatS46) are open for requests.
> 
> Much love and happiness to you all. Until next week. Cat xxx


	38. Christmas Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Christmas Day, and Effie's got the whole day planned out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone. Well, according to this, it's Christmas in May. This is what my concept of time is. I hope you enjoy this.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games, its characters, or its world. All rights go to Suzanne Collins, and I am not Suzanne. I just like playing around with her characters.

"Princess?" Haymitch murmurs. "Beautiful, wake up."

"No, and I'm not a beautiful Princess yet. I'm not caffeinated," she grumbles, hugging the pillow. 

"Come on, sweetheart, it's time to get up," he tells her gently. "That lot will be here soon. Don't you want to be dressed and caffeinated before they arrive?"

"I am twenty nine weeks pregnant, nobody expects me to be wearing anything but leggings and a giant shirt. I'm sleeping. Your son kept me up last night," she grumbles. "If you're going to bother me, bother me with coffee."

"Look on your table, you grumpy little Bug," he chuckles. He laughs as she sits up and squeaks at the gingerbread latte he's brought her. "Merry Christmas, beautiful."

"You brought me a gingerbread latte!" she squeaks, tears starting to well up in her eyes. "Aww!"

He hugs her and wipes her cheeks. "Don't cry, sweetheart," he murmurs. "I thought you liked them."

"I do!" she sobs. "That's why I'm crying!"

He smirks and kisses her head. "Drink up, Bug," he murmurs.

She drinks the latte eagerly, making small purrs of contentment. She murmurs "I think our baby likes this. He's wriggling like he does when you kiss my tummy."

A small grin appears on Haymitch's face, and he slips his hand onto Effie's stomach, feeling around for their son. The baby's wriggles are gentler than usual. "I guess he does like your lattes, beautiful," he murmurs. "Are you a coffee addict like your mama?"

The answering kick makes them both laugh, and Effie takes another sip of her coffee. "Oh, this is  _good_. I've got a feeling that he's going to be a small you, but with my coffee addiction and love of naps," she hums.

"He'll probably have your eye for beauty, too," he says. "I just hope he chooses someone as good for him as I did."

That makes her blush, her cheeks turning a pretty shade of red. "You're such a charmer," she murmurs as the door slams open. "Oh, no."

"Abernathy! Trinket! We're here!" Johanna yells.

"Flea! Mitch!" River shrieks.

Effie grins a bit. "Aww," she whispers. "I was enjoying this."

Haymitch kisses her head gently. "You'll enjoy being the family girl, too," he murmurs, then pets her gently.

River bursts in and shrieks "Flea! Mitch!"

"Hey, River!" Haymitch chuckles, scooping the little boy up. "How come you keep getting bigger, huh? You're going to be bigger than Auntie Effie soon."

"Everyone biggest than Flea," River giggles. "She tiny."

"I'm going to give Johanna hell for that," Effie mutters. "I am  _not_ smaller than River."

"Not yet," Annie chuckles softly from the doorway. "River, what did I tell you about coming into Uncle Haymitch's and Auntie Effie's room without knocking?"

"They can be kissy if I not knock," River sighs, snuggling up to Haymitch. "But they not, so okay."

Effie smiles a bit at him. "We're used to being walked in on, Annie. Katniss and Peeta have a nasty habit of doing exactly that," she says gently, sipping her latte again.

"Still, I try to ensure that his manners are a little better than Jo's," Annie says warmly, then approaches the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"A lot better since Haymitch gave me my latte," Effie giggles. "It seems to make the little one happy."

"He takes after you, then," Annie giggles softly. "River takes after Finn, he made me crave sea salted chips, just as Finn used to love."

"Does you still like sea salted chips, kid?" Haymitch asks quietly. River nods, grinning, and Haymitch smirks. "Want to leave Mommy and Auntie Eff be for a bit, and go get some?"

"Mommy?" River asks hopefully.

"Sure, but not before you let Auntie Effie get a cuddle," Annie says gently.

Haymitch puts River on the bed and says "Be careful not to kick her."

River crawls carefully up the bed, then snuggles up to Effie, pressing his cheek to her shoulder, a grin that's so much like Finnick's spreading across his little face. "Hi, Flea," he murmurs happily as her arm wraps around him.

Effie takes a moment to get a quick sniff of River's hair, a happy grin sliding onto her lips. "Beautiful," she murmurs, giving him a squeeze. After a minute, she asks "Do you still want your chips, dear?"

He freezes, then nods. Haymitch picks him up and says "I'll take you now. Be nice to each other, you two."

He takes River, and Annie immediately kicks off a catch up conversation, ranging from the weather to their kids. Effie finds herself relaxing and enjoying being in the company of another woman for a bit, not even noticing when she's finished her coffee.

* * *

"Princess, open the damn door," Haymitch chuckles. "The wine's in there!"

"If I don't get booze, neither do you, squishy thing!" Effie snaps. 

"Okay, chill, I was talking for Jo and Annie," he says, admittedly happy with the way the day's going. "I've got Willow and River basically glued to me, I can't drink."

Her stomps are loud enough to carry over the conversation, and everyone falls silent as she yanks open the door, her makeup a mess, her hair looking frazzled, and her clothes stained. "Here's your wine," she hisses, handing him the bottle, mindful of the two small children he's holding. "Now leave me be."

"You sure you don't want help with the dinner?" he asks softly. "I can take some of the weight off."

"No. It's my family tradition. The matriarch of the family makes the food while the patriarch keeps the family entertained," she says, but smiles softly. "Thank you, though. I appreciate your offer."

He leans in to kiss her gently. "Call me if you need a minute, okay?" he murmurs. "Don't strain yourself or the nugget."

"I won't," she murmurs, kissing him back. "I love you."

He nods, and listens intently for her clattering about in the kitchen, and soon, the delicious scent of a turkey roasting, vegetables steaming, and pudding being baked all waft in from the kitchen, and River asks "Flea come cuddle?"

"Later, kiddo, Auntie Effie's making dinner," he says.

"Why aren't you helping her?" Peeta asks, almost accusingly. "You know how much pain she's in all the time."

"Yeah, I've offered, and she doesn't want me. Something about family tradition on her part," Haymitch shrugs. "She knows to call me if she needs help."

"Not like you to let her do things on her own like that," Johanna remarks. "Something gone down with you?"

"No," Haymitch says, rolling his eyes. "She's allowed her traditions, as long as she respects her limits and doesn't endanger herself or the baby. I don't  _let_ her do things, she does what she wants."

"Please," Johanna scoffs. "We've all seen it. Since you married her, she's become nothing more than a slave for you. All she ever does is work to make you happy, talk about you, think about you, and make gooey eyes at you. She's got no personality since she married you. Hell, she's even carrying a baby for you. She never wanted kids, she made that pretty damn clear."

"Look, I ain't forcing her into doin' anythin'," Haymitch snarls, anger flaring up at Johanna's assumptions. "She decided she wanted a baby. Do you really think that if she didn't want the baby, I'd have risked puttin' him there? No. And I don't know what the hell you're seein', but she's more than whatever that is. She wants to make a dinner for her family at Christmas, and you think you get to disrespect her that way?"

"All I'm saying is that she's become a drone since you two tied the knot," Johanna says casually. "She does nothing but spout stuff about you. I keep expecting to hear her calling you Master."

"She's not my slave, and she doesn't think she is either. What she does is her own choice, and I'm only stepping in if it can hurt her or the baby. She has every right to say what she wants, when she wants, and if she wants to rant about me, then fine," Haymitch growls.

"Haymitch!" Effie calls. "Honey, please will you come here?"

He bolts up, hands Willow and River back to Katniss and Annie, then runs to the kitchen. He finds Effie looking pale and weak, sweating a little, and hugs her tightly. "You okay, beautiful?" he asks softly, stroking her hair and cheeks. "You look pale."

"I feel really weak," she whispers. "I feel like I do when I haven't eaten in days. Please will you help?"

He gets out a cheese bun, slices it open, and wedges some ham and cheese between the two pieces of fluffy bread, then fries it up until the cheese has melted. He plates it up and puts it on the table in front of her. "Eat that," he says. "Just to get your blood sugar up. I'll get you a smoothie."

He makes her a smoothie, full of blueberries, bananas, blackberries, and apple juice, then places it in front of her before washing the mixer and jug he used. She eats and drinks with enthusiasm, and smiles when he places a few chocolates in front of her. "You're spoiling me," she giggles, looking a little less unwell now.

"Is there a rule saying I can't spoil my wife?" he asks, kissing her head.

"No, and I'm not complaining about being spoiled. I like it," she says, tilting her head up for a peck on the lips. "You're such a good husband, honey."

He pets her, smiling slightly at the praise. "Eat your chocolates, sweetheart," he says, then rescues the mashed potatoes before they stick and burn. Her little squeak of protest makes him smile properly. "You're eating, and this was about to burn. If you want, we can have our own tradition. Mommy does half, Daddy does half, then we both get time to talk to our kids and snuggle."

She grins at him and says "Next year, I won't be nearing my third trimester of pregnancy. But I won't say no to you if you want to help."

He grins back at her, then jerks his head to the door. "You go sit with that lot, beautiful. I'll take over now. You've done the hard bit," he says.

"Kiss me first," she whispers, waddling over to him.

He turns to her and kisses her gently, holding her as close to him as he can get her. When they break apart, he murmurs "There you go, sweetheart. Go sit down, there's plenty more to come."

She nods, stealing another kiss and murmuring "Thank you for overtaking, darling. It means the world to me."

"Hey, there's nothing you have to do on your own, sweetheart. I'm always available if you need me," he tells her gently. "Now  _go_. Plop yourself down on the sofa, give those feet a break."

She nods, and waddles back into the living room, sits down, and is immediately grabbed by River. "Hello, sweetie," she says gently, petting him. "How are you?"

He looks up at her with all the innocence of a fawn, and says "No one tell me how the baby get in you. They keep say to ask you."

Effie glares around the room, then says "Well, darling, when a man and a woman fall in love, they get married. And sometimes, they decide they want little babies to love as much as they love each other, like your mommy and daddy did. So they talk to each other about having babies, and if they both want babies enough, they go up to their room, and they have a very special cuddle and a kiss, and a few days later, there's a little baby growing. But that special cuddle and kiss are only special and good if both adults want it, and it only happens between grown ups."

"So why Auntie Jo say it happen when you on your back?" River asks, confusion all over his little face.

"Uncle Haymitch and I were taking a nap when our cuddles and kisses happened," she says softly, brushing his hair out of his face. He seems to accept that, then snuggles up to her, leaving her free to glare at Johanna.

Haymitch comes in, clearly attempting to hide a smirk. "Dinner's ready, if anyone wants to get up and go to the dining room," he says, trying and failing to keep the amusement out of his tone. 

Relieved, everyone gets up with varying ways of declaring their hunger, and they make their way to the dining room. Effie wraps her arm around Haymitchs waist and kisses his cheek. "Thank you," she murmurs.

"Stop thanking me, sweetheart, you did the work," he chuckles softly, kissing the top of her head. "Come on, let's get some dinner down you."

She walks with him to the dining room, cuddled against his side. Once they're in there, Johanna asks "Do you have any weird traditions about how people eat, Trinket?"

"Only the basic use of cutlery and plates, and chewing their mouths closed," Effie deadpans. "And no reaching over others' plates."

"Basically, just be considerate of the fact that there are people other than you at the table," Annie says. "No licking plates."

Haymitch looks pointedly at Katniss and Peeta, who both start giggling. "No idea what you mean, Haymitch," Peeta gets out between giggles. "We'd never do that, would we, Katniss?"

"Never ever," Katniss supports through her giggles. "And neither of us would  _ever_ do that in front of Effie, would we?"

"Absolutely not," Peeta agrees.

Effie smiles fondly at them. "Yes, darlings, you're both completely innocent, and you've never done anything while eating that would completely revolt me," she chuckles. "You definitely have perfect table manners."

Haymitch gets Effie's chair out for her, and helps her sit down, careful not to aggravate her hips. "Do you need a cushion, Princess?" he asks softly.

"No, I'm okay, thank you," she replies quietly, pressing her lips to his wrist. "Sit down with me, darling, you need food as much as the rest of us."

He sits down in the only available chair next to her, and looks around the table. "What are you lot even waiting for? Get started. Princess hasn't put all that effort in for you to let it go cold," he tells them, then grabs Effie's plate, and starts filling it up. He piles it high and places it in front of her. "Here, beautiful."

She smiles up at him and presses a kiss to his forearm. "Thank you, darling," she murmurs, then hands him his plate. "Here, get yourself food."

"That was the plan," he chuckles, and starts filling his own plate as everyone else does. He sits down beside Effie, and they wait for everyone else to be seated again before they start to eat. There's silence in the room as everyone eats their dinner, and more than once, Haymitch checks to see how much Effie's actually eaten, knowing all too well that she doesn't like to eat around people who aren't himself, Peeta, and Katniss, and he's more than a bit shocked to find that everything that's vanished from her plate appears to have been eaten. Eventually, as the last bit of food is finished, he looks to Effie and says "Well, Eff, going to give it to you, that was great."

She blushes and whispers "Thank you."

Johanna asks "Will you two move in with us? You've got some skills."

Effie giggles quietly, and Haymitch says "She'll be a lobster if we move her to Four, she likes the outside, and the sun likes trying to cook her."

"I'm too pale for that," Effie agrees. "But when we come over on vacation this summer, I'll take over your kitchen."

Annie laughs and says "You don't have to do that, Effie. Johanna's joking."

"I'm not, that food was  _good_ ," Johanna exclaims.

Haymitch grins and says "You got Johanna's seal of approval, Princess. We're not just buttering you up."

"Don't butter her up, I might eat her," Johanna says, snapping her teeth playfully at Effie. "If she tastes anywhere near as good as her cooking does..."

"Better," Haymitch says, grinning, causing everyone else to think for a second, then gag. "What? She does taste good. Nobody try, she's mine to kiss."

"You did  _not_ mean kissing!" Katniss yelps.

"Yeah, I did," Haymitch says innocently. Too innocently. "Get your mind out of the gutter, Katniss. Not everything is sex-related."

Effie bursts out laughing and asks "Who wants dessert?"

"You're making it worse," Johanna chuckles. 

"Oh, stop," Effie giggles. "I meant something along the lines of Christmas pudding, or fruit cake, or chocolate log."

"Dessert would be nice," Annie says.

"Haymitch, honey, will you help me up?" Effie asks softly.

"No, I'll get the dessert," he says, clearing the table. "You stay there. I'll get you your cushion if you're starting to hurt."

"No, I'm fine," she says, smiling. "Are you sure you don't want me to help?"

"Positive," he tells her gently, grinning at her. "You're not moving unless dinner's completely done and you need putting back on the sofa."

She lets a small trace of a smile slide across her lips. "Okay, but after the little thing's out, I'm going right back to my usual ways," she warns him.

He rolls his eyes, and takes the stack of plates and dishes to the kitchen, returning with clean bowls. He sets the dishes up, then disappears to get the dessert dishes. He sets them down, and looks at Effie. "What do you want, beautiful?" he asks.

She smiles warmly at him. "Fruit cake, please, darling," she murmurs, reaching up to touch his arm, as if she's testing that he's really there.

He gets her dessert, then his own slice of cake, and sits back down. Everyone else starts to get at their own desserts, and Johanna says "We claim leftovers."

Haymitch and Effie share a fond look, and Katniss and Peeta shrug. "We get this sort of treatment daily," Katniss says indifferently. "So you're okay to get leftovers."

"Stop showing off because you have these two and a baker for a husband," Johanna scolds her. "Annie and I aren't that great in the kitchen."

"Granted, we're quite bad at cooking," Annie chuckles.

"I like it," River declares stubbornly.

"Aww," Annie murmurs lovingly, petting River's hair gently. "You're such a sweet boy, River."

After dinner, everyone relocates back to the living room, and Effie asks "Would anyone mind if I start giving out gifts?"

"What gifts?" Katniss asks, looking around.

Effie struggles to her feet, and waddles out of the room, Haymitch staring after her. "How can you still be gawping at her?" Johanna asks. "She's walking like a duck."

Haymitch shrugs. "I still think she's got a great figure," he says, smirking. "Better, in fact. She looks healthier now. A bit less energetic, but healthier."

Effie returns, and she's struggling with a bag of gifts that's nearly as big as she is. "Someone help?" she gasps.

Haymitch bolts up and takes the bag with ease. "What the hell did you buy, little one? This bag's nearly the same size as you," he says, kissing her head. "And almost your weight, which you shouldn't be lifting, let alone trying to carry."

She screws her nose up at him, then headbutts his arm gently. "Are you calling me fat?" she asks, grinning.

"No, I'm saying that, for a bag, this is heavy, and for such a small thing like you, this might break you," he replies. "You're not fat. Go sit down."

She does, lowering herself carefully into her seat as Haymitch brings the gift bag over. He places it down, and Effie fishes out everyone's gifts. "Here we go," she says happily, handing gifts out.

Slowly but surely, everyone stares at the giant parcels on their laps. River asks "Can we open them?"

"Of course, darling," Effie giggles. "Go on."

River wastes no time in shredding the paper, and squeals when he sees a pop up tent. "Tent!" he screams happily. "Tanks!"

"You're very welcome, sweetheart," Effie coos adoringly.

Johanna opens hers, revealing a large, wooden box. She unlocks the box to find a customised axe, with an obsidian blade and bamboo handle. "Wow," she murmurs appreciatively. "Is this real obsidian?"

"Yeah," Haymitch says. "Princess here designed it, and it took us months to find someone to make it specifically."

"This is incredible," Johanna murmurs, her eyes glittering. "It'll make a nice, clean chop. And it's sturdy, too. Bamboo handle?"

"Yes," Effie says. "We figured that if you were getting an axe, you'd need it sturdy enough to go through anything you so chose."

"Well, thanks," she says. "I'm going to have a lot of fun with this."

"Keep it away from River," Annie warns her. "I don't need a dead toddler."

"Wait until he's twenty five," Haymitch says.

"Haymitch!" Effie gasps. "He's joking, of course."

"I'd like to think he's not dumb enough to hurt himself," Johanna says, admiring her axe. "Wow. I can't get over this."

Effie grins. "I'm glad you like it," she says warmly.

Annie opens her gift next, and sees a handmade book. She opens the first page, and almost immediately smiles. "Oh, my..." she murmurs softly.

"What is it?" Katniss asks.

"Finnick and me throughout our relationship," Annie murmurs, stroking the page almost lovingly. "I love it. Thank you so much."

Haymitch nods slightly, and Effie smiles sadly. "I'm glad you like it, Annie," she murmurs.

There's silence for a moment as Annie looks through her book, then she closes it with tears in her eyes. "Who's next?" she asks softly.

Katniss shrugs and opens her own gift. Inside, she finds a long, narrow, wooden box. Upon opening it, she discovers a new, shiny, golden bow with a quiver of twenty five matching arrows. "Ooh," she murmurs, lifting it out. "This is gorgeous. Where did you find this?"

"Another custom one," Haymitch says. "Again, Princess figured that you all deserve stuff that nobody else will have."

"It's bamboo," Johanna says softly. "A thinner bamboo than my axe, so it's more pliant, but it's still not going to break on you."

"It's reinforced with gold," Effie says softly. "I wanted to ensure that it couldn't snap, but at the same time, it can still bend enough to fire arrows. The arrows, however, are actual gold, designed with the latest technology that ensures they can still hit any target, no matter the distance. I'm not sure how it works, but it does."

"This is brilliant," Katniss says. "I'm taking this out for practice tomorrow."

Haymitch grins and murmurs "Told you she'd love it."

Effie smiles, then Peeta opens his own gift. His jaw drops as he sees a brand new painting kit with a whole spectrum of colours in every shade imaginable, and forty top quality brushes, all in a gleaming cedar box. "This is incredible," he murmurs. "There's no way you found this in a store."

"We didn't," Effie says. 

"She spent forever searching for  _just_ the right products," Haymitch says, squeezing Effie's knee. "She only just finished it last night, actually."

"Haymitch," Effie murmurs. "He's exaggerating. It was two nights ago."

Peeta looks up at her, glowing with joy. "Thank you, Effie," he says softly. "I love it."

"I'm glad you do," she whispers.

Haymitch looks at the box on his lap and asks "Do I want to know, sweetheart?"

"Yes, now open it," she says, smiling warmly.

He opens it cautiously, revealing a pine box. He unlocks it and finds a flask, a large bottle of his favourite whiskey, and a picture frame. He lifts the frame, and a note falls out. He reads the note, and smiles. "Love you too, small thing," he says, kissing her cheek. He stares at the picture for a minute, then kisses her nose. "Thanks, beautiful."

She grins at him and snuggles close, burying her nose on his chest. 

"We all traded gifts last night," Peeta says, helping Willow unwrap her gift, a tiny pink teddy bear in a dress that has a W embroidered on it. "But we figured you two were waiting, so we saved yours."

Haymitch lifts an eyebrow. "You didn't have to," he says.

"Ah, stop saying that, we all know you two. We know you go above and beyond for us," Johanna says. "River, give them their stuff."

River hands over two little packages, and says "Here you go."

Haymitch looks at Effie, and she nods at him. He opens his parcel to see a black shirt. He unfolds the shirt to see _World's Best Daddy_ written in blue. He laughs and says "Great stuff. The kid's going to love that. Princess, open yours."

She does, and gets a white shirt with  _World's Best Mommy_ written in pink. "Aww!" she exclaims, tearing up almost instantly. "Oh, I love it!"

Haymitch grins, then gets out a little box. "Here, sweetheart. Just a little something for you," he murmurs.

She takes it and lifts the lid off the box, revealing a handmade, pink beaded bracelet, with a lipstick charm, a bottle charm, an arrow, a paintbrush, an axe, a smile, a toy car, and two pairs of tiny feet. "Oh, that's so precious," she breathes. "It represents us all... I love it so much. Thank you, my love."

She slides it onto her wrist, and Haymitch smirks, then kisses her forehead. "It's almost time for Paylor's speech," Annie pipes in. "Shall we?"

Haymitch nods and turns on the television, then tunes it in to the Capitol's main broadcasting channel, and snuggles back down with Effie.

* * *

That night, Effie snuggles up to Haymitch and whispers "I love family Christmas. It's so nice. And thank you for being so kind today. I really love you."

"Anything for you, sweetheart," he murmurs, half asleep. "Get some rest, beautiful. We'll have plenty of time to cuddle in the morning."

Effie lies awake for a while, watching him sleep. He looks so much younger and more peaceful when he sleeps, and she loves seeing him peaceful. It means he's in a world of pure bliss, and she finds herself hoping that he finds this same peace in waking life someday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed that. As always, leave any thoughts, questions, requests, or constructive criticisms down below in the comments. 
> 
> Much love and happiness to you all. Until next week. Cat xxx

**Author's Note:**

> And that's that! Well, I hope you enjoyed this. As always, leave your thoughts, any constructive criticism, or your questions below in a comment, and I'm always here to listen. 
> 
> Much love and happiness to you all. Until next time. Cat xxx


End file.
